The Exco arrives with a star-studded cast; Deyemi Okanlawon, Jide Kosoko, Bimbo Akintola, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Femi Branch, Scarlet Gomez and more, yet somehow delivers far less than its potential. The story follows Governor Bode Santos of fictional Adun State as he wrestles with political sabotage and internal enemies, with the central conflict tied to a controversial road construction project. On paper, this should be engaging. On screen, it falls flat.
The film is weighed down by too many subplots. Instead of building momentum, it keeps dragging viewers through extended introductions and side stories that feel like padding. A few subplots had promise, but most fizzled out or left no real impact. By the halfway mark, you’re still waiting for the “real movie” to begin.
Deyemi Okanlawon delivers a solid performance as Governor Santos, though the name choice “Santos” for a Yoruba-rooted fictional state feels out of place. The rest of the cast—mostly old Nollywood veterans—don’t get roles that match their pedigree. With legends like Norbert Young, Jide Kosoko and Femi Branch on set, you expect depth. Instead, their characters feel like afterthoughts. Even the Gen Z audience in the cinema sat in quiet indifference.
The film’s picture quality is surprisingly poor. Considering Deyemi’s usual involvement in high-quality productions, the dull colour grading is disappointing. A particularly awkward moment is the AI-generated campaign crowd—noticeably fake and unnecessary. In a country where real campaign rallies are chaotic and free, relying on AI was both cheap and pointless.
Story-wise, directors need to understand the room: the average Nigerian cinema-goer does not want long-winded political infighting. They’d rather watch chaos; witchcraft, street culture, family drama, Owanbes; anything with energy. The Exco tries to be a political thriller but ends up feeling like a confused civics lecture.
The one redeeming feature? Costumes. The Agbadas, the Owanbe fashion choices—those land well, but we’ve seen them before in better films.
By the end, the movie leaves you with more questions than satisfaction. It throws many themes at the audience but connects very few of them, ultimately delivering a disjointed experience.
Verdict: 3.5/10.