Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed why he developed admiration for veteran singer Charly Boy despite initially disapproving of his unconventional lifestyle.

Speaking during an interview on the “Before Tomorrow Comes” podcast, Obasanjo said he first knew Charly Boy through his father, late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, whom he described as one of the few Nigerians he genuinely admired and considered a friend.

“I was close to Charly Boy’s father, Justice Oputa. I don’t have many friends or many people I would say I admire, but the late Justice Oputa was one Nigerian I called a friend and admired. Then I started seeing Charly Boy, and they said he was Justice Oputa’s son,” he said.

According to the former president, he initially struggled to reconcile Charly Boy’s unconventional appearance with the refined and disciplined personality of his friend, Justice Oputa, admitting that he deliberately “scorned” the entertainer because he expected him to mirror his father’s lifestyle.

Obasanjo added, “Justice Oputa was a decent man, well-groomed and well-dressed, with an immaculate turnout, and then I saw this man called Charly Boy, dressed in an uncoordinated way. I said, ‘Look, how come an adult dresses like that?’ and I didn’t think much of him.

“I could not raise it with his father, who was my friend and whom I admired. I would go to Justice Oputa and never talk about Charly Boy. When I met him, I scorned him deliberately because I expected the son of a supreme court judge of the calibre of Justice Oputa to be like his father, well-groomed, immaculate in turnout and well-presented.”

Obasanjo, however, said his perception changed after witnessing the extraordinary care Charly Boy showed towards his parents, particularly his late father and mother.

He noted that beyond the entertainer’s controversial image was a deeply devoted son whose commitment to family drew him closer over the years.

“Going into Charly Boy’s house, you would still see uncoordinated things, motorcycles and the type of clothes he wore. What struck me was Charly Boy’s way of taking care of his father. Even if Charly Boy had dressed ten times more immaculately, he could not have taken better care of his father than what I saw,” he added.

“It was all part of his comedy and amusement, so I got drawn to him. Of course, because of that and the regard I had for his father, when the old man died, I was there in their home in Oguta. Then it was his mother’s turn, and having been close to the father, I automatically became close to the mother, a humorous woman.

“I realised that Charly Boy’s care for his mother could not even be compared with the way he cared for his father because it was extraordinary, so I became close to Charly Boy, and his uncoordinated dressing no longer mattered to me. I saw it as part of making life good, and then he approached me.”

The former president added that he eventually realised Charly Boy’s eccentric behaviour and appearance were part of his entertainment identity and personal brand, stressing that there were valuable life lessons to learn from his relationship with his parents.

“I realised there were many lessons to learn from Charly Boy’s life, particularly from his parents, especially his father. How did his father tolerate him when he was not going the way his father wanted? If he would not become a lawyer, then certainly being a singer or comedian was not what the father would have wanted,” he said.

“But he decided to choose a path for his own life. He remained committed to it, and he got his father to learn to live with it. As I said, to the extent that in the latter part of the father’s life, Charly Boy became his father’s favourite.”

Obasanjo also disclosed that he wrote the foreword to Charly Boy’s memoir, 999: The Memoir of Charly Boy, describing the book as well written and a masterpiece. He further urged parents to support children who choose unconventional paths, provided such choices are not criminal. (Vanguard)

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