Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that Charly Boy’s devotion to his parents changed his perception of the entertainer, saying he initially had “no iota of regard or respect” for him.
Obasanjo made the disclosure while featuring on the Curiosity Made Me Ask podcast hosted by comedian and content creator Isbae U.
The former president said his opinion of Charly Boy, whose real name is Charles Oputa, changed after he visited the entertainer’s home and witnessed the care he gave his father, the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
According to Obasanjo, Charly Boy remained committed to caring for his father until his death and later extended the same devotion to his mother.
“When I first came to know Charly Boy, I had no iota of regard or respect for him,” Obasanjo said.
“But when I went to visit Joseph Oputa, it was in Charly Boy’s house. I didn’t know it was in Charly Boy’s house.
“I saw how Joseph Oputa was being taken care of, and by whom? Charly Boy. So, I started changing my mind about Charly Boy. Until Joseph Oputa died, Charly Boy took perfect care of him.”
Obasanjo also recalled his interactions with Charly Boy’s mother, whom he described as a humorous woman, noting that the entertainer also took good care of her.
The former president said he later questioned Charly Boy about his eccentric public image and unconventional appearance.
“Then one day I asked him, ‘Look, Charly Boy, what’s all this?’ He said all those jaga-jaga things that I see are to make chop-chop,” Obasanjo recalled.
Obasanjo spoke highly of Justice Oputa, describing him as one of the Nigerians he respected most.
“He has a good father, Justice Oputa. Oh, what a great man. I wish Charlie Boy had resembled him,” he said.
Despite his reservations about Charly Boy’s public persona, Obasanjo acknowledged the entertainer’s intelligence, saying sustaining such an unconventional image as a means of earning a living required a measure of intelligence.
