In case you are a JJC, one of Nigeria’s finest comedians and television hosts, Olateju Gbadewonuola Oyelakin, aka Teju Baby Face, is stepping out of the bachelors’ club. And Saturday, September 1, 2012 has been chosen for the church aspect (at The Chapel of Light, Interdenominational, Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja; and the reception at The Muson Centre in Onikan). The traditional aspect would happen two days earlier, Thursday, August 30, 2012, at 10 Degrees Event Centre, Billings Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. The name of the leggy damsel that eventually captured the heart of Teju is Oluwatobiloba Oriyomi Banjoko. YES INTERNATIONAL! Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, AZUH ARINZE, had an exclusive interview with the cute couple and twinkling twosome on Friday, August 03, 2012. And, for the first time ever, they chronicled the genesis of their union as well as their dreams and aspirations…
TEJU BABY FACE…
When did it dawn on you that you should get married?
Almost three years ago…
How exactly did it happen?
Well, I kept coming home and my house kept feeling empty. I kept leaving events and finding there was someone I would like to tell the story, but there was no one. I just kept feeling lonely. There was a space in my heart that was crying out for friendship. But may be more importantly was the fact that I started making mistakes. I started making mistakes that I had made before and I thought it was over. People I shouldn’t have been fraternizing with, women. I started making all those kinds of mistakes and I wasn’t getting better. There was a point in my life when I was so disciplined that for almost two years, I wasn’t with any woman. And that was when the Teju Baby Face Show was born. And I found that thereafter, I could not seem to replicate the same discipline, no matter how I tried. So, it occurred to me that some thing had to change. So, when you put the loneliness together as well as my inability to be disciplined any more, it was instructive.
How long have you known your wife?
I met her for the first in 2009 or 2008. It was 2008. Yeah! We were holding an audition for ushers. I wanted to have a show, my 2008 show that was called Comedy Meets Class. So, we wanted classy ushers. And at the time she was on her last ushering leg. I can remember I walked into a room filled with about 40 hot women. And she just hooked my eyes immediately. That was the first time I met her.
What made you decide it’s Tobi or no one else?
First of all, the first time I met her, she didn’t send me. With each of the 39 other girls in the room that day, our eyes would meet at some point. But this one studiously ignored me. It was as if she made a declaration that our eyes weren’t going to meet. And when I actually interviewed her for the ushering job, she didn’t seem to care. She said the money was too small and she left. So, when I saw her a month later at another job, and I went to chat her up. I can never forget, she told me, ‘Excuse me, please I’m working’. What she meant was you are disturbing me, and I got the message (Laughs). And so, I started to find out more about her, and I found she was what you can call a ‘good girl’. But you see, that’s not enough. What you asked me was what made me decide? A pastor asked me that question recently. Let me use this word. When I told my father, when my father asked me, this girl you are serious about, what does she do? I said dad, she is a model. He said explain yourself. I said well, she was in the recent Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. Now, when you tell parents that, they don’t think that the girl is bad. On the other hand, they form a certain world view in that sense of the word…
How long did it eventually take you to get her to succumb?
May be that is one of the reasons we are marrying. I had always said that the woman I would marry would be one who would be very beautiful. In 2010, we were trying to date first of all and we hung out after about three months, so we didn’t date again until 2011. We tried to date in 2010, but it didn’t happen. My fault oh! In each of the time we tried to date, there was never any point in time where I had to do any convincing. In fact, on our first date, she came to my house and we needed to go and buy groceries so that we could cook together. And I remember we were walking across the street when I saw a Mercedes Benz, G-Class. And I pointed and said that’s my dream car. And this girl said, on our first date o! ‘Don’t worry, we will have it (Laughs). And I looked at her, then she blushed. And said no, no, no. That’s not what I meant. She has always been like that.
What kind of family are your people looking at building?
Not too many children. I want boys as usual. She wants girls. I mean, a handy family. A family that will be handy.
How many children are you thinking of exactly?
We are praying God gives us three children. If you are asking for numbers, that is the kind of family we want.
Was there any special reason for the date of the wedding, September 1, 2012?
Well, 1st of September was the day my late step mother was born. My step mom died in 1998. My cousin, Solade Sheyon was born on September 1st. Those are the sentimental reasons. It also sounded to us as a good day. You are not likely to forget that you got married on the 1st of September. And you know what, that sounds cool.
Now that you are getting married, what is going to change about you?
I am going to get richer for one. People have been telling me that when you get married, certain blessings would locate you (Laughs). I can’t wait for this to come. And maybe she is going to make me more sociable. You probably know that you don’t see me out a lot. So, maybe I would become more sociable. I wouldn’t say I would become more responsible because I am responsible already.
What are some things we don’t know about your wife?
Let me tell you, all that posing that she does is just film trick. That is what you think when you meet her for the first time. That was the same thing I thought. That she is a no-nonsense girl. And yes, she is, but all that boning is not real. Inside, she is just marsh. Secondly, on the flip side of that coin, she is very nice and always smiling and doing things. But she doesn’t send. She is an I don’t care kind of person. She doesn’t get attached to things sentimentally. She can be quite aloof. And the kind part, you probably can’t see that about her. She is a doer. She is about the first person that her being independent is not a problem to me. Unlike other women who are independent and it becomes a problem for their men. They want to do things their own way. She seems to have mastered the art of being able to do stuff by herself and in case you don’t know, she is a born again Christian.
Tell us more. How old is she, where is she from, what kind of family is she from?
Well, I can’t say her age. That is left to her. They say women are not supposed to say that. So, I would let her tell you that one. She is from a Christian family. Christian father, Christian mother. Her father is retired, her mum is also retired. She has siblings, brothers, sisters. They live on the mainland. Good family.
Which schools did she attend?
She is from Lagos, she can tell you her school herself. I don’t really know, because I tease her about the schools she attended a lot. So, I can’t really remember the schools she attended.
So, what are the wedding details?
For the sake of my security, you can’t write any of these venues (pointing to his invitation card). Because I am already afraid, I tell you. The wedding planner is Funke Bucknor-Obruthe. We are also working with Leke Adenuga of QF. He has a reality show that he is doing which is titled Which Bride is Next? And they are likely to take care of the total wedding of whoever they are working with. So, he is working with us in some way because our wedding is bigger than the scope of what his reality show is. But he is working with us. The musicians are likely to be Sir Shina Peters, Ebenezer Obey, Yinka Ayefele, Toyosi and the jazz band who plays on my show. Timi Dakolo promised to do a wedding song for us. My friends are going to be there as well. Ali Baba promised to be MC, Tee A is man around the place, he is going to be doing a lot of stuff for me. That’s more or less everything about it.
Your suit, and that of your best man, where are you getting them from?
We are getting them from Tayo Gabriels. Tayo Gabriels is on the next street, Jubril Martins Street in Surulere. It’s a Nigerian suit made by a Nigerian guy. But well cut.
How about your shoes?
I have them already. I got my wedding shoes last year. From Maises. I was in Maises in the U.S and I was in one of the departments and I saw this patent leather shoes and I bought them. Only for my friend to tell me, ‘Guy, you no fit wear this now oh. Na for your wedding’. So, I kept it. I bought another pair at Russell and Brodlyn when I was in the UK earlier this year for my engagement.
Who is going to be your best man?
They are people you don’t know. There is Popoola Sesan who is my friend. He is a dentist in the UK. Tunde Koiki who has been my friend from way, way back. So, they are both my best men.
How about your wife, her wedding gown, where is it from?
I think the little I know about it is, it is being done by Ohimai Atafo. I think she is one of his top models. So, they have a very good working relationship, as far as the gown and other stuff are concerned.
Who are your groom’s men?
Tee A, Holy Mallam, Owen G, Koffi, Tayo Gabriels, the guy making my suit, Kayode Peters, Basket Mouth, Niyi Samuel and a whole bunch of guys you don’t know. Dolapo Olanipekun and my younger brother, Gbadebo also.
Can you say something nice, sweet to your wife?
Before you came along, I was panicking; panicked as to how I would marry. Because you see, I was getting older, and there was nobody out there I wanted to marry. I really panicked. If I look at the list of everybody that I have met in the past years, they didn’t seem to be anybody that I wanted to marry. And I thought to myself that if I lived for thirty something years and I haven’t found a woman, what are the chances of me finding her next year, or in the next two or three years. And you just came along, and solved that problem. I am not marrying you because you are beautiful or because you make me feel somehow. I am just comfortable with you. We are supposed to be married. It’s just like that.
TEJU’S WIFE TAKES OVER…
What do you like most about Teju?
(Laughs) I like everything about him. He’s kind, he makes jest of every little thing and I think that’s cool.
What don’t you like about him?
What I don’t like about him? That’s a big one. I have not seen anything I don’t like about him. He is just there.
Why did you settle for him? You could have opted for someone else…
Like I said, Teju is God-fearing, he is different. I mean, the first time I met him, I thought he was proud, but you never can judge a book by its cover. So, meeting him, speaking with him, he is a very deep person. He is really, really deep. So, I like that about him. I chose him because he is God-fearing, he is kind and he is my friend. I mean, we can do anything together. So, I believe with God’s approval, he is the one.
When there is any disagreement, how do you resolve it? Who says sorry first?
I say sorry first (Laughs). I say sorry first because I usually get him upset. Even if he gets me upset, I still say sorry first.
What’s your dream for this union which is going to be consummated on September 1?
My dream is to have the best family ever, and to make something good out it. That means we need to put God first in everything we do. So, putting God first, every other thing would fall in place.
Who is your chief bride’s maid?
(Laughs). My chief bridesmaid is going to be Gladys Otoiki, she is my childhood friend.
Who are the people that would form your bridal train?
You should be expecting Miss Tourism, MBGN, few models and most of my friends. Strictly tall fine girls (Laughs).
What was your reaction the first time Teju tried wooing you?
I so shunned him…I really, really shunned him. I was like, what are you feeling like? Who is this? The fact that he is known also pissed me off. And like I said, he really looks like a proud person, but he is not. And the fact that girls jump all over him; they always go, oh my God, Teju! It pissed me off. So, I shunned him at first.
What was the first thing he said to you, and what was the first thing you said to him?
Can I remember? Okay, it was at a job and he come to meet me and said hi, what’s up? Okay! There were various times o! Hmm! The first time, I came for an audition, and he said that he wanted to pay us one money or something like that, and I said I couldn’t do it because it was pretty cheap. So, I walked away. The second time, he saw me at an event and he said hello and I said sorry, you can’t talk to me now because I am working. If you need to speak to me, it should be later. So, I walked away…
So, what made you calm down and listen to him eventually and after your initial gra, gra?
After my initial gra, gra, abi (Laughs). Why would you say that? It’s not gra, gra. We all have our pride and stuff. I mean, you know I said earlier that he is deep, and I didn’t know he was that kind of person, so after I spoke with him, I decided okay, fine, we could even be friends. We were friends, but I never thought of dating him. I mean, I only liked our conversations and from there it started developing.
He is out there in people’s faces? How are you going to cope with the female attention and everything that comes with being a celebrity?
Okay, let me make one statement. Teju is fine, I am fine (General laughter). Okay, let’s forget that fact. I mean, a virtuous woman will understand so many things. I understand his job. I know him, Teju is a homely person. He is God fearing, and once you are God fearing, fine, you might get sighted everywhere, but he is focused. So, I am not bothered. I am not scared at all. Because God is in our union.
NB: First published September 2012