Alibaba, a well-known figure in Nigerian comedy, recently shared a personal story on The Honest Bunch Podcast’s Christmas special about the rocky relationship he had with his father due to his career choice. He revealed that his decision to pursue comedy over law led to an astonishing ten years of silence between him and his dad.
The comedian recalled the moment he broke the news to his father,
” A dedicated academic who earned his PhD at 86. Expecting a discussion about his academic standing, his father was shocked when Alibaba expressed his desire to ditch law for comedy. His father’s disbelief was so intense that he called over a relative to hear what Alibaba had said. The response was disheartening: Alibaba was essentially told he was no longer part of the family if he didn’t study law, leading to a rift that lasted a decade.
Alibaba’s choice to leave home that night marked the start of a long period without communication with his father, from 1988 to 1998. Despite attempts to reconnect, his father was initially unwilling to see him. This challenging phase, however, fueled Alibaba’s determination to succeed in comedy, driven by a desire to prove his father wrong.
