Desmond Elliot, Ibrahim Suleiman and Fehintola Olulana Lead New Political Drama First Lady, in Cinemas October 16
Fehintola Olulana headlines and produces the award-winning Fentinee Network film about power, marriage, motherhood and the devastating price of getting what you want most.
Nollywood heavyweights Desmond Elliot and Ibrahim Suleiman join Fehintola Olulana in FIRST LADY, a provocative new film from Fentinee Network about a powerful woman whose desperate longing for a child leads to a pregnancy that could destroy her marriage, reputation and carefully constructed public life.
Directed by Yinka Akanbi, FIRST LADY brings together an accomplished ensemble including Desmond Elliot, Ibrahim Suleiman, Fehintola Olulana, Ngozi Nwosu, Jaiye Kuti, Abiola Segun-Williams, and Oluwakemi Iyanda for a story steeped in love, ambition, betrayal and consequence.
At the centre of the film is Adunola, the First Lady of Lagos State. To the outside world, she has the life many would envy: status, influence, wealth and a powerful husband. But behind closed doors, she remains haunted by the one thing she desperately longs for — a child. When the desperation culminates in pregnancy, what follows is a deeply personal crisis with consequences that threaten not only a marriage, but reputations, loyalties and lives.
Written, produced and executive produced by Fehintola Olulana, FIRST LADY also places its leading actress behind the film's central creative vision, with Olulana driving a story that interrogates motherhood, marriage, public expectation and the consequences of private choices.
Ahead of its theatrical release, FIRST LADY has already earned international recognition at the 2025 Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF). The film was officially selected for screening at the festival and received nominations across four major categories: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Nollywood Film and Best Screenplay, ultimately receiving the Best Screenplay Award.
Olulana, who wrote and produced the film, received the recognition in person at the festival.
“FIRST LADY asks what happens when a woman who appears to have everything is denied the one thing she wants most. Adunola makes choices audiences may disagree with, but I wanted us to understand the desperation, expectations and emotional consequences that drive those choices” — Fehintola Olulana, Writer, Producer & Executive Producer.
The film marks an ambitious project for Fentinee Network — placing a woman caught between private longing and public expectation at the heart of a story about the extraordinary pressure behind a seemingly perfect life.
Under Yinka Akanbi's direction, the film juxtaposes the grandeur associated with political office with the intensely personal turmoil unfolding behind closed doors. With powerful performances from some of Nollywood's most recognisable actors and an award-winning screenplay, FIRST LADY promises audiences an emotionally charged drama in which every choice comes at a price.
Distributed by Tribe Nation Theatrical Distribution, FIRST LADY opens in cinemas across West Africa on October 16, 2026.
See exclusive photos below.
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