The Big Brother Naija Season 9 house was buzzing with tension following a dramatic twist in the Head of House (HOH) selection. Nelly, along with her partner Anita, secured the coveted HOH title with an impressive 8 votes. As part of their victory, they were granted the privilege of choosing a guest duo to join them in the exclusive HOH lounge—a decision that has since stirred emotions and led to a confrontation between Nelly and her close friend, Sooj.
In a surprising move, Nelly and Anita chose the Chekas duo, Onyeka and Chizoba, to join them in the HOH lounge, bypassing the Aces boys, which includes Sooj and his partner Topher. The decision left many housemates, especially Sooj, feeling hurt and confused. Sooj, who had been developing a close, possibly romantic, relationship with Nelly, expected that their bond would influence her decision to pick the Aces boys for the lounge.
The disappointment was evident on Sooj’s face throughout the day, as he struggled to hide his feelings about the situation. Eventually, Nelly noticed the shift in his demeanor and decided to address the tension directly.
“You’ve been off since this thing,” Nelly pointed out, initiating a conversation with Sooj. Confused, Sooj responded, “I’ve been off? I came to hug you.” But Nelly wasn’t convinced, stating, “No, that’s not you. I know when you really want to talk to me.”
Sooj, realizing how his actions may have been perceived, quickly apologized. “If my behavior was off, sorry about that. I don’t mean to project what’s in my head, because I’m the kind of person that, regardless of what perception y’all have, my person will always be my person.” He further explained that his loyalty would not waver simply because he wasn’t in the HOH lounge, adding, “I’m not gonna say, okay, because I’m not in the HOH lounge, I’m not going to pick you girls.”
Nelly assured Sooj that his concerns were not the reason for her decision, but Sooj continued, “I’m not saying that’s the reason. I’m giving you an example. So, to me, it was like, okay, you did your own thing, but I spoke to the boys, like how far… even before you had that conversation, I already spoke to the boys.”
In a moment of vulnerability, Nelly apologized again, saying, “I’m sorry nau, okay see, I’m sorry right, I’m sorry for not having… I don’t wanna try to defend myself, I’m just sorry.” Sooj, while accepting her apology, encouraged more open communication between them. “You can if you want to, I’m just telling you from a logical point.”
The conversation then took a deeper turn as Nelly admitted that part of her decision stemmed from her belief that if she and Sooj were together in the HOH lounge, they might not be able to control their emotions. “Plus I know that if we are together inside that place, we wouldn’t be able to control ourselves as much,” Nelly confessed. Sooj challenged this assumption, asking, “Who said?” to which Nelly replied, “Me, I won’t.”
Sooji took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of clear and open dialogue, saying, “This is exactly what I’m saying. These are conversations… we’ve spent more than enough time together, so now it’s almost as if, so why are you guys now…” But Nelly, still feeling guilty, interrupted with another heartfelt apology.
In a touching moment, Sooj comforted Nelly with a cuddle and a gentle back rub, reinforcing his earlier point about the need for better communication. “Since we were already conversing, I just needed to tell you, this is what it is. I understand how you might feel, but I’m just telling you that there needs to be more open communication. It’s something I’ve been saying; we can’t just be living on assumption,” he concluded.
The exchange between Nelly and Sooj has highlighted the emotional complexities of relationships within the BBNaija house, where strategic decisions often intersect with personal bonds. As the season progresses, fans will be eagerly watching to see how this relationship evolves and whether Nelly and Sooj can navigate the challenges that lie ahead.