Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed how popular musician, Charly Boy’s devotion to his parents made him change his perception of the entertainer.
Obasanjo said he initially viewed Charly Boy through the lens of his flamboyant “Area Fada” persona and unconventional lifestyle, but later discovered that the character was markedly different from Charles Oputa, the man he came to know privately.
The former president spoke during an appearance on Isbae U’s podcast, Curiosity Made Me Ask, where he also dismissed the suggestion that he was forced out of office or broke down in tears when his tenure as president ended.
Recounting how he first encountered Charly Boy, Obasanjo said his initial impression was influenced by the entertainer’s appearance and lifestyle, including a power bike he saw parked outside his residence.
He said he was initially reluctant to visit Charly Boy but changed his perception after meeting his father, the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, whom he described as one of the few Nigerians he genuinely respected.
Obasanjo said what particularly impressed him was the manner in which Charly Boy cared for his father despite the image he projected publicly.
“I came close to you through your family. You took care of your father so well,” he said.
According to Obasanjo, Charly Boy later explained that the public persona associated with “Area Fada” was a creation and did not represent his entire personality.
“Until you explained it in detail today that Charly Oputa is you, and Charly Boy is your creation. Fiction is not reality,” Obasanjo recalled telling him.
He said his regard for Charly Boy grew further after the death of Justice Oputa, when the entertainer gave his father what he described as a befitting burial.
Obasanjo added that Charly Boy subsequently cared for his mother after she came to live with him.
“When the old man died, you gave him a befitting burial. Then your mum came to live with you, and I continued with her. Again, you took care of your mother so well. That made me change my mind about you,” he said.
The former president said his experience with the Oputa family enabled him to distinguish between Charly Boy’s public persona and the private individual he encountered.
“You are two personalities in one,” Obasanjo said, explaining that it was the Charles Oputa he came to know through his family that ultimately earned his respect.
The former president also addressed his departure from office after completing his two terms as president.
Responding to a question from Isbae U about an allegation that he cried when he was asked to leave Aso Rock, Obasanjo rejected the suggestion that he was forced out of office.
He maintained that he left the presidency at the expiration of his constitutionally permitted tenure.
Obasanjo served as president from 1999 to 2007, handing over to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua at the end of his second term.
