In Her Excellency, directed by Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo, power wears heels, suspicion walks in shadows, and love, betrayal, and politics share the same table.
Set against the backdrop of a political landscape riddled with ambition and secrets, the film attempts to peel back the glossy layers of power, exposing the fragile emotions, explosive tempers, and dangerous games that simmer beneath. It’s a story where titles mean little, and even those closest to power can become pawns in a deadly game of ego, fear, and revenge.
Plot
Set in the fictional Salim State, the film opens with a bang, quite literally, as Biodun, the Chief Security Officer to the state governor, is found dead in a pool of his own blood. His fiancée, Nike, discovers the body, and in a cruel twist of fate, ends up as the prime suspect. But this is just the spark that ignites the firestorm.
Now, Governor Kola, a man with political poise but a brewing storm at home. Beside him is Her Excellency, Omoyeni, a woman equal parts poised and paranoid. Her love for her husband is intense, but so is her jealousy, and trust, unfortunately, is not her strong suit.
When the governor fires his entire cabinet except the Minister of Agriculture (a woman, no less), Omoyeni is rattled. Her claws come out, not just in private, but publicly. She crashes his meetings, challenges his authority, and soon, their marriage becomes a political war zone.
Meanwhile, Wuyi, the man who replaces the slain Biodun, is quietly playing a long game of his own. He’s nursing feelings for Nike, the grieving fiancée, and slowly worms his way into her heart and into the centre of the mystery.
Things take a darker turn when Moyo, an NGO founder with a heart for children, enters the picture. The governor sees potential in her for partnership and possibly more. But Omoyeni, consumed by jealousy, launches a scandalous smear campaign. What follows is a PR disaster, an arrest, and a wife convinced her husband is planning a betrayal. But the biggest twist? The real puppet master isn’t the governor, nor Moyo. It’s Omoyeni herself.
In a devastating reveal, we learn that she masterminded the death of Biodun, simply because he wouldn’t help her commit murder. She used Wuyi as the weapon, feeding him lies and insecurities until he became a killer.
But karma always circles back.
Nike, slowly piecing things together, uncovers the truth. A single bracelet, some recovered phone data, and a near-death encounter later, the police swoop in just in time. Wuyi confesses all, and both he and Her Excellency are arrested, the crown of power shattered by the very distrust it tried to guard.
Cast
One of the strongest assets of Her Excellency lies in its star-studded cast. On paper, this lineup promised fireworks, and in many ways, it delivered. But sometimes, even fireworks fizzle when the fuse is poorly lit.
Sola Sobowale, no doubt, is a powerhouse. Her performances are usually charged with intensity and nuance. But in this film, her portrayal teetered on the edge of “too much”. The passion was there, but the emotional buildup lacked context. She shouted, she cried, she stormed out, but the audience is left wondering “why”. Her energy, though commendable, wasn’t anchored in a clear or coherent storyline.
The rest of the cast followed suit, competent actors caught in the chaos of a miscalculated plot. It felt like the film was trying to be many things at once: a political thriller, a romantic drama, a murder mystery. And in that attempt, it lost its centre.
Her Excellency featured Yemi Solade, Femi Adebayo, Bimbo Ademoye, Odunlade Adekola, Fathia Balogun, Jide Kosoko and many others.
Language
Her Excellency was delivered predominantly in Yoruba.
Final take
Visually, Her Excellency tried to sell a believable political atmosphere. The set design and props, especially the attempt to recreate a government house, were commendable. The movie can also boast of a talented cast lineup. But unfortunately, that’s where the good ends.
At its core, this movie is just an exhausting story of an angry, jealous woman spiralling out of control, and not in a way that grips the audience. The plot is misdirected, disjointed, and deeply unsettling, not because of its thrills, but because of how unwatchable it becomes. There’s no takeaway, no resolution that feels worth the emotional toll, and certainly no entertainment value.
The title Her Excellency promised sophistication, political intrigue, or at least depth, but what we got was a colossal mess wrapped in a glossy name. By the end, you’re left wondering, “Why am I watching this? What’s the point?”
