Veteran Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Alibaba, has shared the poignant story of how his decision to pursue comedy over a legal career led to a ten-year estrangement from his father.
He shared this in a revealing episode on The Honest Bunch Podcast’s Christmas edition.
Alibaba, who is known for his wit and humour, recounted the pivotal moment when he informed his bookworm father of his career choice, prompting a reaction that drove him to leave home.
He said, “My dad is a bookworm. He got his PhD at 86. I told him, I said, ‘Daddy, I came from school to tell you something.’ He said, ‘Okay, have you been rusticated?’ I said, ‘No. I’ve decided that I don’t want to read law. I want to do comedy.’
“He asked, ‘Comedy like what?’ I said, ‘Like cracking jokes.’ He laughed and asked my younger brother to call my uncle who lived close by. When my uncle came, he asked what the matter was and I said I don’t want to read law again that I want to do comedy.
He said that means I’ve found another father, stressing that I can’t be part of the family and won’t read law. He said all the money my dad spent on me was wasted. He told my dad to handle the situation and left.”
He added “I knew I couldn’t sleep in that house because my dad would beat me. So as my uncle was going out, I followed him to lock the burglary and I didn’t go back in. And
Despite facing familial disapproval, Alibaba was resolute in his determination to succeed in comedy and prove his father wrong.
This estrangement fueled Alibaba’s commitment to become a successful comedian, turning the adversity into inspiration for his journey to stardom.
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