Veteran Nigerian comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, widely known as Alibaba, recently disclosed that his parents primarily wanted him to study law due to his early reading ability at the age of three.
Alibaba shared this revelation during his appearance as a guest on the Christmas edition of The Honest Bunch Podcast.
“My dad was keen on me pursuing law because parents were remarkably attentive in those days.
“In my case, I began reading at the age of three. I immersed myself in the New Nigerian, the West African Pilot, the Observer Tribune, Sunday Times, and various other newspapers.
“Observing my ability to read, write, engage in conversations, and argue persuasively, my dad concluded that I was destined to be a lawyer and guided me accordingly.”
He recounted scoring 201 in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam in 1984. However, he failed mathematics in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) and was unable to secure admission into the University that year. Yet, upon entering school the following year, he began to refine his comedic skills, despite his father’s lack of support for that career choice.
The 58-year-old comedian also disclosed that his father did not communicate with him for ten years, from 1988 to 1998.
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