Emuobonuvie Neo Akpofure, simply known as Neo, came into the Big Brother Naija show with infectious energy and the sort of street vibes we have become accustomed to seeing.

It has been certainly interesting to see that this housemate who we all thought would make a habit of emphasising his knowledge of the ‘streets’ would quickly pivot into one of this season’s pre-eminent lover boys.

Neo’s journey in the house cannot be narrated without mentioning Vee. These two found themselves in the second week of the sh0w and, since then, it has been (un)smooth sail.

While some may argue that their relationship is cute, it certainly has its flaws. For starters, it pales in comparison to the entertainment value both Kiddrica (Erica and Kiddwaya) and Ozone (Ozo and Nengi) brought to the show. It also fails to give them the audience they may have presumed to get if they stuck together, and dished out some couple goals.

Just like Lilo and Eric, Neo and Vee are a duo not completely sold on the audience at large. Sure, there are those who find these two adorable, but being in a relationship for this couple has taken away a lot of individual entertainment prospect they seemed to have, and in our estimation reduced their chances of winning the prize. Their supposed relationship has only lasted this long because of a bizarre string of lucky breaks, as opposed to the votes of dedicated shippers.

This is particularly concerning if you consider just how likeable Neo is compared to other housemates and how controversial Vee can be at times. If these two weren’t sharing most of their screen time together, Neo could have been the fun-loving life of the party fellow that may have garnered a larger fan base, and Vee just might be the London version of Lucy, which may have been interesting to see.

However, Neo and Vee’s time together did manage to thrust them to the finals in its own unique way. So who is Neo asides his persona when he is with Vee?

For the most part, Neo is that one housemate who has served us dance goals. He also made some conversations interesting, he was master of ceremony anytime there was a raunchy game to be played, and he never failed to sneak into any conversation just how street he is, and how his street knowledge has always given him an edge in life.

At one time, it was rumoured that Kaisha had a thing for him, but he was unable to explore this because of his relationship with Vee.

Asides all this, the 26 year old former Uber driver, who hails from Delta state spent most of his stay in the house, fighting with Vee after which it was kiss and make up time. It almost felt like he fought with Vee every week and made up just before the week ran out.

Neo’s chances of winning the big prize this Sunday is proportional to that of his sweetheart, slim. His showing in the house has been wonderful, but no where near enough to rival the likes of Laycon or Dorothy.

Chinedu Okafor

For Chinedu Okafor, its all about making an impact with words,  creating a profound impression on the audience with the intended narrative.