celebrity radar - gossips
Real reasons i returned to school despite being famous – Nollywood actor, Odunlade Adekola reveals
Perhaps, currently the most popular Yoruba movie actor, Odunlade Adekola has starred, scripted, produced and directed over a 100 movies. A crossover star, the 38-year-old actor recently made an inroad into Nollywood and has been clinching major roles. PREMIUM TIMES had a chat with the actor at the Glo Mega Music Nationwide Tour in Festac,Lagos, where he opened up on his career, fame and controversies
PT: Have you always wanted to become an actor?
Odunlade: I started acting at a very early age. Whenever an anniversary was to hold in our church (the Christ Apostolic Church, Lafenwa, Abeokuta.)I partook in it. I had a childhood friend, Tunde, who was a part-time actor and he introduced me to a theatre group that rehearsed near my house. One day, he invited me to join the group and I agreed. I went there that day and the man in charge asked me if I could act and I said I could. He then told me to act like a crazy person and when I did that, everybody there began to clap. I was also interested in singing and I composed songs for my church. But God had better plans for me. He said, “You will still become a musician, but come and join the movie industry first.” I joined the Yoruba movie industry in 1996 and the Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners, in 1998. I have been an actor for over 20 years. One of my earliest movie roles that I can recall is Faworaja. Bolaji Amusan (Mr. Latin) produced it in 1999. I believe that Asiri Gomina gave me my big break. The late Ishola Durojaiye (Alasari) produced the film.
PT: Is it true that you are presently an undergraduate at the University of Lagos?
Odunlade: Yes I am presently in 500 Level at the University of Lagos studying Business Administration. As a student, I loved business studies and anything that pertains to leadership. That is why I am studying Business Administration. I am also of the opinion that when you study Business Administration, you can fit into any profession. As we all know, if you have a lot of money and you do not know how to manage it, you would squander it in no time. If you are a doctor, heading a hospital, and you don’t know how to manage the hospital, the establishment can pack up. So, the knowledge of business administration is the key to the smooth running of any organisation. I already have a diploma from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.
PT: You are already a household name, why return to school?
Odunlade: I am a firm believer in knowledge acquisition so I always tell young actors, who want to enter our industry to get an education first. In fact, if you tell me you are interested in acting, I will ask you what you are doing presently. If you say you are currently in school, I will advise you to finish before you join the movie industry. Even if you are learning a trade, make sure you are certified before you join the movie industry. If you are seeking to gain admission into the university, ensure you complete your studies first before you come into the movie industry. If you fail to do so, once you become a famous actor, it will be difficult for you to go back to school. Education is very important in anything you do in life.
PT: The Yoruba movie industry has grown in leaps and bounds in recent times. What do you think is responsible for this growth?
Odunlade: I believe the Yoruba movie industry has benefited a lot from the advent of the Internet and social media. The introduction of the African Magic Yoruba Channel on DSTV has also contributed to the global recognition of the Yoruba movie industry. However, I believe that every industry needs to continuously improve in every area. Our industry has to also move with the times and protect our future by adapting to the changes in the world.
PT : What aspect do you think your industry needs to improve on?
Odunlade: No man is perfect except God. Sometimes, our fans complain that our movies aren’t getting to them, so I think we need to improve on our distribution channels.
PT: You failed to mention the poor subtitling in Yoruba films.
Odunlade: To be sincere, people still complain to us about that. In fact, it is a jocular topic on social media. Honestly speaking, I think changes have really begun to improve in this direction. A lot of my colleagues have brushed themselves up in this regard. We no longer hire incompetent people to handle subtitling in our movies. We now have professionals who proofread our movie scripts before they are released. For instance, I have not received any complaints in this area. And I know some producers, who are equally making efforts to correct poor subtitling in their movies.
PT: Since you starred in Taxi Driver (Oko Ashawo), you appear to be taking on a lot of Nollywood roles.
Odunlade: Before starring in Taxi Driver, I had featured in some English movies, which are yet to be released. My motto in life is: do anything you want to do to the best of your ability. That is the way I approach my work and I am also a very versatile actor. You never know the extent to which your actions would go. I didn’t quite anticipate that Taxi Driver (Oko Ashawo) would get this far when I accepted to play the role. I am starring in Omoni Oboli’s Wives on Strike, Film one’s New Money and many more.
PT: What do you look out for in a script before you take on a role?
Odunlade: A lot of people say I am versatile and I appreciate them. And I always tell people this: if acting is your profession you should protect or guard it jealously. Giving any role my best shot is my own way of protecting my job – being the best that I can be. If I am invited to play any role, after reading the script thoroughly, I try to understand it. Once I understand the character, then, I can to inject my own ideas. Most of the times, it is not always easy. Being versatile is the result of long-term hard work.
PT: As an established actor, you have had a fair share of scandals?
Odunlade: Some elements have hijacked social media for their own mischievous gains. People just sit down and cook up stories simply because they want traffic, they want to make money. I think Nigerians need to get it right. It is not everything that is on social media that is factual. An entertainer who knows his craft should not be carried away with social media. This is because before social media, we have been in this industry. It is not social media that will bring us down. I have been in the industry for more than twenty years. So, social media cannot bring me down.
PT: …And the numerous death hoaxes?
Odunlade: I don’t know who else may have been responsible for them. But I know that someone somewhere has continued to cook up something negative to ridicule me and to make profit out of it. This is not good. I always say this, if you are engaged in any illicit practice just to bring food to your table, it will definitely backfire. It might not backfire today, but it will someday. We have a lot of journalists who write good things, who verify their information before publishing. And they are doing well. I am not bothered about the negative reports. I have said it and will say it again, social media will not bring me down because I predate social media, and all of us do.
PT: For a long time, a lot of people have attributed your meteoric rise to diabolic means. Do you feel any need to react to it?
Odunlade: I have reacted to it. I am a Christian. I was born in a Christian family. I grew up in a Christian home. As far as I am concerned, if you are in one level in this country and people have not said this thing about you, it means you have not gotten high enough. If you are a celebrity and you are bothered about what people write about you, it means you still need to pray very well for Baba God to take you higher. We are still praying. People have said Pastors use jazz. So, why would they not say the same thing about me? I am a Christian and I am still in Christ. I was born in Christ Apostolic Church and I still attend Christ Apostolic Church in Abeokuta. My dad is a former choirmaster in our church and he is now a pastor.
PT: As the son of a pastor, did your father support your decision to become an actor?
Odunlade: When I told my father that I wanted to become an actor, he really encouraged me and my mother was not against it at all. My father, being the head of the house, threw his weight behind me and gave me his full support. He could have told me to drop the idea but he did not. It was only one of my uncles that did not really support my choice of career but now he’s the one that tells me to bring films for him to watch.
PT: Your colleagues are venturing into politics. Do you also intend to contest for the office of governor of Ekiti State?
Odunlade: If you have any opportunity in this country and at this time, use it. Make use of any opportunity positively, I mean good opportunities. In my own case, I can’t say anything pertaining to politics for now. With regards to contesting for governor of Ekiti State in the future; I do not know.
PT: As a Nollywood big boy, why do you prefer to live in Abeokuta instead of Lagos that is known as the entertainment headquarters?
Odunlade: I am comfortable in Abeokuta and there are a lot of beautiful and serene places here. All my family members are in Abeokuta. I was not brought up in Lagos so I cannot move to Lekki or Ajah. Living in Lagos does not mean that one is rich or successful. Neither does it mean that Lagos is a paradise. The mentality of everybody is different, I am in Abeokuta and I would continue to be here. I am not saying that I cannot build a house in Lagos but presently, I am in Abeokuta and I have not seen what would make me relocate from where I am. This is where I was before everybody in Lagos knew me, so why would I leave Abeokuta when everybody now knows me?
Why Babangida’s Hilltop Home Became Nigeria’s Political “Mecca”.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s birthday visit to Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) in Minna (where he hailed the octogenarian as a patriotic leader committed to national unity) was more than a courtesy call. It was a reminder of a peculiar constant in Nigerian politics: the steady pilgrimage of power-seekers, bridge-builders and crisis-managers to the Hilltop mansion. Jonathan’s own words captured it bluntly: IBB’s residence “is like a Mecca of sorts” because of the former military president’s enduring relevance and perceived nation-first posture.
Babangida turned 84 on 17 August 2025. That alone invites reflection on a career that has shaped Nigeria’s political architecture for four decades; admired by some for audacious statecraft, condemned by others for controversies that still shadow the republic. Born on 17 August 1941 in Minna, he ruled as military president from 1985 to 1993, presiding over transformative and turbulent chapters: the relocation of the national capital to Abuja in 1991; the creation of political institutions for a long, complex transition; economic liberalisation that cut both ways; and the fateful annulment of the 12 June 1993 election. Each of these choices helps explain why the Hilltop remains a magnet for Nigerians who need counsel, cover or calibration.
A house built on influence; why the visits never stop.
Let’s start with the obvious: access. Nigeria’s political class prizes proximity to the men and women who can open doors, soften opposition, broker peace and read the hidden currents. In that calculus, IBB’s network is unmatched. He cultivated a reputation for “political engineering,” the reason the press christened him “Maradona” (for deft dribbling through complexity) and “Evil Genius” (for the strategic cunning his critics decried). Whether one embraces or rejects those labels, they reflect a reality: Babangida is still the place where many politicians go to test ideas, seek endorsements or secure introductions. Even the mainstream press has described him as a consultant of sorts to desperate or ambitious politicians, an uncomfortable description that nevertheless underlines his gravitational pull.
Though it isn’t only political tact that draws visitors; it’s statecraft with lasting fingerprints. Moving the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja in December 1991 was not a cosmetic relocation, it re-centred the federation and signaled a symbolic neutrality in a country fractured by regional suspicion. Abuja’s founding logic (GEOGRAPHIC CENTRALITY and ETHNIC NEUTRALITY) continues to stabilise the national imagination. This is part of the reason many leaders, across party lines, still defer to IBB: he didn’t just rule; he rearranged the map of power.
Then there’s the regional dimension. Under his watch, Nigeria led the creation and deployment of ECOMOG in 1990 to staunch Liberia’s bloody civil war, a bold move that announced Abuja as a regional security anchor. The intervention was imperfect, contested and costly, but it helped define West Africa’s collective security posture and Nigeria’s leadership brand. When neighboring states now face crises, the memory of that precedent still echoes in diplomatic corridors and Babangida’s counsel retains currency among those who remember how decisions were made.
Jonathan’s praise and the unity argument.
Jonathan’s tribute (stressing Babangida’s non-sectional outlook and commitment to unity) goes to the heart of the Hilltop mystique. For a multi-ethnic federation straining under distrust, figures who can speak across divides are prized. Jonathan’s point wasn’t nostalgia; it was a live assessment of a man many still call when Nigeria’s seams fray. That’s why the parade to Minna continues: the anxious, the ambitious and the statesmanlike alike seek an elder who can convene rivals and cool temperatures.
The unresolved shadow: June 12 and the ethics of influence.
No honest appraisal can skip the hardest chapter: the annulment of the 12 June 1993 election (judged widely as free and fair) was a rupture that delegitimised the transition and scarred Nigeria’s democratic journey. Political scientist Larry Diamond has repeatedly identified June 12 as a prime example of how authoritarian reversals corrode democratic legitimacy and public trust. His larger warning (“few developments are more destructive to the legitimacy of new democracies than blatant and pervasive political corruption”) captures the moral crater that followed the annulment and the years of drift that ensued. Those wounds are part of the Babangida legacy too and they complicate the reverence that a steady stream of visitors displays.
Max Siollun, a leading historian of Nigeria’s military era, has observed (provocatively) that the military’s “greatest contribution” to democracy may have been to rule “long and badly enough” that Nigerians lost appetite for soldiers in power. It’s a stinging line, yet it helps explain the paradox of IBB’s status: the same system he personified taught Nigeria costly lessons that hardened its democratic reflexes. Today’s generation visits the Hilltop not to revive militarism but to harvest hard-won insights about managing a fragile federation.
What sustains the pilgrimage.
1) Institutional memory: Nigeria’s politics often suffers amnesia. Babangida offers a living archive of security crises navigated, regional diplomacy attempted, volatile markets tempered and power-sharing experiments designed. Whether one applauds or condemns specific choices, the muscle memory of governing a complex federation is rare and urgently sought.
2) Convening power: In a season of polarisation, the ability to sit warring factions in the same room is not small capital. Babangida’s imprimatur remains a safe invitation card few refuse it, fewer ignore it. That convening power explains why movements, parties and would-be presidents keep filing up the long driveway. Recent delegations have explicitly cast their courtesy calls in the language of unity, loyalty and patriotism ahead of pivotal elections.
3) Signals to the base: Visiting Minna telegraphs seriousness to party structures and funders. It says: “I have sought counsel where history meets experience.” In Nigeria’s coded political theatre, that signal still matters. Outlets have reported for years that many aspirants treat the Hilltop as an obligatory stop an unflattering reality, perhaps, but a revealing one.
4) The man and the myth: The mansion itself, with its opulence and aura, has become a set piece in Nigeria’s story of power, admired by some, resented by others, but always discussed. The myth feeds the pilgrimage; the pilgrimage feeds the myth.
The balance sheet at 84.
To treat Babangida solely as a sage is to forget the costs of his era; to treat him only as a villain is to ignore the architecture that still holds parts of Nigeria together. Abuja’s relocation stands as a stabilising bet that paid off. ECOMOG, for all its flaws, seeded a habit of regional responsibility. Conversely, June 12 remains a national cautionary tale about elite manipulation, civilian marginalisation and the brittleness of transitions managed from above. These are not contradictory truths; they are the double helix of Babangida’s place in Nigerian memory.
Jonathan’s homage tried to distill the better angel of IBB’s record: MENTORSHIP, BRIDGE-BUILDING and a POSTURE that (at least in his telling) RESISTS SECTIONAL ISM. “That is why today, his house is like a Mecca of sorts,” he said, praying that the GENERAL continues to “mentor the younger ones.” Whether one agrees with the full sentiment, it accurately describes the lived politics of Nigeria today: Minna remains a checkpoint on the road to relevance.
The scholar’s verdict and a citizen’s challenge.
If Diamond warns about legitimacy and Siollun warns about the perils of soldier-politics, what should Nigerians demand from the Hilltop effect? Three things.
First, use influence to open space, not close it. Counsel should tilt toward rules, institutions and credible elections not kingmaking for its own sake. The lesson of 1993 is that subverting a valid vote haunts a nation for decades.
Second, mentor for unity, but insist on accountability. Unity cannot be a euphemism for silence. A truly patriotic elder statesman sets a high bar for conduct and condemns the shortcuts that tempt new actors in old ways. Diamond’s admonition on corruption is not an abstraction; it’s a roadmap for rebuilding trust.
Third, convert nostalgia into institutional memory. If Babangida’s house is a classroom, then Nigeria should capture, publish and debate its lessons in the open: on peace operations (what worked, what failed), on capital relocation (how to plan at scale), and on transitions (how not to repeat 1993). Only then does the pilgrimage serve the republic rather than personalities.
At 84, Ibrahim Babangida remains a paradox that Nigeria cannot ignore: a man whose legacy straddles NATION-BUILDING and NATION-BRUISING, whose doors remain open to those seeking power and those seeking peace. Jonathan’s visit (and his striking “Mecca” metaphor) reveals a simple, stubborn fact: in a country still searching for steady hands, the Hilltop’s shadow is long. The task before Nigeria is to ensure that the shadow points toward a brighter constitutional daybreak, where influence is finally subordinated to institutions and where mentorship hardens into norms that no single mansion can monopolise. That is the only pilgrimage worth making.
Ajadi Celebrates Juju Legend Femolancaster’s 50th Birthday in the UK
Nigerian Juju music legend, Otunba Femi Fadipe, popularly known as FemoLancaster, is being celebrated today in London as he clocks 50 years of age.
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a frontline politician and businessman, led tributes to the Ilesa-born maestro, describing him as a timeless cultural icon whose artistry has enriched both Nigeria and the world.
“FemoLancaster is not just a musician, he is a legend,” Ambassador Ajadi said in his birthday message. “For decades, his classical Juju sound has remained a reminder of the beauty of Yoruba heritage. Today, as he turns 50, I celebrate a cultural ambassador whose music bridges generations and continents.”
While FemoLancaster is highly dominant in Oyo State and across the South-West, his craft has also taken him beyond Nigeria’s borders.
FemoLancaster’s illustrious career has seen him thrill audiences across Nigeria and beyond, with performances in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, and other parts of the world. His dedication to Juju music has projected Yoruba traditional sounds to international stages, keeping alive the legacy of icons like King Sunny Ade and Chief Ebenezer Obey while infusing fresh energy for younger audiences
He further stressed the significance of honoring artistes who have remained faithful to indigenous music while taking it global. “In an era where modern sounds often overshadow tradition, FemoLancaster stands as a beacon of continuity and resilience. He has carried Yoruba Juju music into the global space with dignity, passion, and excellence,” he added.
The golden jubilee celebration in London has drawn fans, friends, and colleagues, who all describe FemoLancaster as a gifted artist whose contributions over decades have earned him a revered place in the pantheon of Nigerian music legends.
“As FemoLancaster marks this milestone,” Ajadi concluded, “I wish him many more years of good health, wisdom, and global recognition. May his music continue to echo across generations and continents.”
celebrity radar - gossips
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
By Aderounmu Kazeem Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria — The gospel music scene is aglow today as the “Duchess of Gospel Music,” Esther Igbekele, marks another milestone in her life, celebrating her birthday on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Known for her powerful voice, inspirational lyrics, and unwavering dedication to spreading the gospel through music, Esther Igbekele has become one of Nigeria’s most respected and beloved gospel artistes. Over the years, she has graced countless stages, released hit albums, and inspired audiences across the world with her uplifting songs.
Today’s celebration is expected to be a joyful blend of music, prayers, and heartfelt tributes from family, friends, fans, and fellow artistes. Sources close to the singer revealed that plans are in place for a special praise gathering in Lagos, where she will be joined by notable figures in the gospel industry, church leaders, and admirers from home and abroad.
Speaking ahead of the day, Igbekele expressed deep gratitude to God for His mercy and the opportunity to use her gift to touch lives. “Every birthday is a reminder of God’s faithfulness in my journey. I am thankful for life, for my fans, and for the privilege to keep ministering through music,” she said.
From her early beginnings in the Yoruba gospel music scene to her rise as a celebrated recording artiste with a unique fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds, Esther Igbekele’s career has been marked by consistency, excellence, and a strong message of hope.
As she adds another year today, her fans have flooded social media with messages of love, appreciation, and prayers — a testament to the profound impact she continues to make in the gospel music ministry.
For many, this birthday is not just a celebration of Esther Igbekele’s life, but also of the divine inspiration she brings to the Nigerian gospel music landscape.
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