Odudu Otu wins Gulder Ultimate Search Season 12

Odudu Otu emerged the winner of Gulder Ultimate search ‘Age of Craftsmanship’ season 12 on Sunday.

Otu, 22, won the ultimate prize after finding the Chest which contains the secret of the proverbial Akolo’s secret brew.

As the winner, he goes home with N50m worth of prizes including an SUV as well as a return ticket to Dubai.

In addition to this, the organisers say he has become a role model for young Nigerians on the importance of taking up an opportunity and making the best use of it.

The athlete, who hails from Akwa Ibom, made it to the top four and was only confirmed to join the rest on the unveiling day.

Not until the 14th task, Otu cut an unassuming figure at the beginning until the later part of the show.

However, Otu did not have the puzzle-solving skills of Damola or the tact of Damilola. In fact, he seemed to just always do enough not to be evicted while staying in the shadows.

The journey so far

More than 20,000 Nigerians applied for this season’s Gulder Ultimate Search regional selection process before those who made the longlist were sent to the Sea School. Ultimately, 20 names were shortlisted with 16 of them confirmed.

When the contestants arrived at the jungle for the first time, the host, Toke Makinwa, asked the wildcards to identify themselves and urged them to make the best use of that opportunity. Otu did just that as he blended into the game making sure to give his best.

He was a member of the Iroko clan which also had members like Damola, Yankari, Esitima, Tobechukwu and Gerald. Theirs was considered the strongest clan in the Amorokin camp.

Thus, it seemed difficult for Otu to have been noticed. Gerald was predicted as a possible winner due to his performance in the early period of the show but was one of the first to be evicted.

Esitima found three boomerangs and was one of those who made it to the top seven. Damola who was also in the same clan as Odudu also made it to the final.

Determination

But Otu’s story in the Gulder Ultimate Search did not begin from there. Some would say he got in on a stroke of luck as he came into the jungle as a wild card.

So it wasn’t an easy ride for Odudu who seemed to have been overshadowed by seemingly better contestants.

He,however, held his own throughout the individual tasks making sure to help his team and also stay in the game.

It was during the individual tasks that Otu began to show why he was a worthy winner. It seemed all the energy, strategy, and endurance in him were let out in full bloom. While it seemed other contestants were beginning to tire, he was just beginning and he maintained this level of performance till the end.

History

Gulder Ultimate Search began in 2004 and ran for 11 consecutive seasons before taking a break in 2014.

From past seasons, contestants were given tasks that tested their physical and intellectual abilities and teamwork.

From the first edition, contestants were camped in different parts of the country to struggle against themselves and the wild, i.e. nature.

In its 11-season run, the show discovered several talents who became stars in Nigeria’s entertainment industry. Some of the past winners – Kunle Remi (winner of the 2010 edition), Dennis Okike (Season 8), and Chris Okagbue (Season 10) went on to build a successful career in Nollywood.

Remi, who was 22 years of age when he won in 2010, starred in the Africa Magic series Tinsel, Forbidden, and several other critically acclaimed Nollywood movies like Sin City and Gold Statue.

Dominic Mudabai, the winner of the fourth edition, has also appeared in numerous TV Commercials for several multinational brands