December 26, (THEWILL) – Atunyota Akpobome Alleluia, Comedian and Actor, otherwise known as Alibaba, has revealed how his decision to pursue comedy instead of law strained his relationship with his father for a decade.
He said his father’s disapproval resulted in 10 years of silence between them. He added that he remained committed to comedy to prove his father wrong.
“My dad is a bookworm. He got his PhD at 86. I told him, Daddy, I came from school to tell you something. He said; Okay, have you been rusticated? I said No, I have decided that I do not want to read law. I want to do comedy,” he said.
“He asked, Comedy like what? I said, Like cracking jokes, He laughed and asked my younger brother to call my uncle who lived close by.
“When my uncle came, he asked what the matter was and I said I do not want to read law again, that I want to do comedy. He said that means I have found another father.
“I knew I could not sleep in that house because my dad would beat me. So as my uncle was going out, I followed him to lock the burglary and I did not go back in.
“My dad and I did not talk from 1988 to 1998. Ten years later, I tried to reach out to him. I went one time to talk to him but he did not want to see me.
“This was the thing. So people ask, ‘Where did you get the inspiration to become a great comedian?’ I was committed, I was like I want to prove him [my Dad] wrong.”
Alibaba’s journey in comedy began in the late 1980s.
