Former President Olusegun Obasanjo flipped the script on comedian Adebayo "Isbae U" Abidemi after he failed to recognize some Nigerian celebrities during a celebrity quiz.
The clever former president, who made his acting debut in Nollywood’s Dele Issues in 2017, had a good time on Saturday’s episode of Curiosity Made Me Ask. He traded jokes with the host and even pretended to sleep at one point.
The show is known for Isbae U’s funny introductions, bold questions, and the witty comebacks they get from guests. Though some people on X have criticized the show for asking questions that may seem disrespectful, Isbae U has defended using sarcasm, roasting, and dark humor.
Mr. Obasanjo is the first former president of Nigeria to appear on the show, making him its most high-profile guest. A recent notable episode featured actor Pete Edochie, whose lively replies to Isbae U’s questions sparked a lot of chatter online.
Celebrity Quiz
During Mr. Obasanjo’s time on the show, the 89-year-old was asked if he recognized music executive Don Jazzy, dancer Poco Lee, streamer Carter Efe, and other names from Nigerian entertainment.
The former president said he did not know the names, making a joke that maybe they were not "big, important people."
"I don’t know Carter Efe, Poco Lee, Jago, Don Jazzy; all these names, I don’t know them. Maybe because they’re not big, important people. The people I know are important," he said.
Mr. Obasanjo also teased Isbae U about how far his show has reached, even though the comedian hasn’t visited some of those places.
"Your show has been to America; my video has been to America. That’s what matters, but you have never been there. So you can see what a poor man you are.
"Your show has gone to America; your show has gone to the UK, and then you haven’t been to America. You have been to the UK, and you are asking me. Before you were born, I had gone to the UK," he joked.
He then turned the quiz back to Isbae U, asking him if he knew the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.
"Do you know Queen Elizabeth? You read about her. I received Queen Elizabeth here in Nigeria," he said.
The former president also remembered meeting King Charles at his farm in Wales, comparing his connections to those of the comedian.
"You know King Charles? I know him. He received me on his farm in Wales. So, we are at par. I know Charles, but you know Tunde Ednut. It’s not a win-win. It’s a loss for you," he joked.
Charly Boy
The chat then moved to veteran entertainer Charles "Charly Boy" Oputa. Mr. Obasanjo admitted that he initially did not like Charly Boy because of his unusual looks and lifestyle.
Responding to Charly Boy’s frequent label of "jaga-jaga," the former president questioned why a gentleman would dress "like a woman" or "like a bushman."
"Charly Boy is so jaga-jaga that I don’t know anything about him. I ran away from him because he was too jaga-jaga.
"He has a good father, Justice Oputa. What a great man. I wish Charly Boy had resembled him. That man was one of the few Nigerians I respected when he was alive," he said.
Mr. Obasanjo shared that when he first met Charly Boy, he had no respect for him. But his view changed after visiting the entertainer’s father, former Supreme Court Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
"When I first came to know Charly Boy, I had no idea of regard or respect for him. But when I went to visit Justice Oputa, it was at Charly Boy’s house. I didn’t know it was Charly Boy’s house," he said.
The former president recalled being surprised by a uniquely decorated motorcycle outside before seeing how much Charly Boy cared for his father.
"The first thing that put me off in that house was that I saw a motorcycle in front of the house. The way the motorcycle was dressed and all that, I said, ‘What is this?’
"Then I went inside the house. I saw how Justice Oputa was being cared for. And by whom? Charly Boy," he said.
Change of Mind
Mr. Obasanjo said that watching Charly Boy care for his father made him rethink his initial feelings.
He added that Charly Boy looked after Justice Oputa until his death and later did the same for his mother, Margaret Oputa, whom he described as a funny woman.
"So I started changing my mind about Charly Boy, and until Justice Oputa died, Charly Boy took perfect care of him, looked after him, and he really behaved like a good child. He behaved well towards his father.
"He didn’t stop there. He did the same to his mother. I used to visit his mother frequently. She was a great, humorous woman. Charly Boy took care of her as well. Then I started changing my mind. I changed my mind about him," he said.
Mr. Obasanjo mentioned that Charly Boy later said his unusual style and public image were ways to make money.
This explanation, according to him, shifted his view of the entertainer, who he now sees as smart.
"One day, I asked him, ‘Charly Boy, what is all this?’ He said all those jaga-jaga things were to make money.
"He’s an intelligent boy. You cannot do jaga-jaga to earn a living without being intelligent. So now, I like him a bit, not too much," he joked.
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