Speaking on the Before Tomorrow Comes Podcast in a YouTube interview released on Thursday, Obasanjo revisited his long-standing connection with the Oputa family and how personal interactions reshaped his earlier judgments.
Obasanjo recalled first encountering Charlie Boy through his father, the late Supreme Court Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, whom he described in glowing terms.
“I was close to Charlie Boy’s father, Justice Oputa. I don’t have many friends or many people that I would say I admire, but late Justice Oputa was one Nigerian I could call a friend and one Nigerian I admired,” he said.
However, his first impression of Charlie Boy himself was far less favourable, largely due to the entertainer’s unconventional fashion style.
“Then I started seeing Charlie Boy… He was dressed jaga jaga. I said, ‘Look, how can an adult dress like this?’ So I didn’t think much of Charlie Boy,” Obasanjo recounted.
He admitted that he initially expected the son of a respected jurist to reflect the same formal elegance associated with his father.
That perception changed after Obasanjo visited Justice Oputa and found him at Charlie Boy’s residence—a moment he said altered his understanding of both father and son.
“On one occasion, I wanted to pay him a visit. And where did I find him? I found him in Charlie Boy’s house,” he said.
What struck him most was not appearance, but family care and respect.
“But what struck me was Charlie Boy’s way of taking care of his father… If Charlie Boy had been ten times immaculately dressed, he would not have taken care of his father better than I saw him taking care of him.”
He added that this experience shifted his entire perception of the entertainer.
“So, I got drawn to Charlie Boy… I realised that Charlie Boy’s jaga jaga tricks… it’s all part of comedy, amusement.”
Obasanjo said his respect for Charlie Boy deepened further after the passing of Justice Oputa, noting the entertainer’s care for both parents.
He also described Charlie Boy’s mother as a “moral woman,” praising the family’s values and cohesion.
“Charlie Boy cared for his mother even better… and gave her a decent goodbye that any child could give,” he said.
Over time, he said he came to understand the entertainer’s eccentric style as part of a deliberate artistic identity rather than a lack of discipline.
“I became close to Charlie Boy. So his jaga jaga dressing didn’t matter to me anymore. I saw it as part of making life,” he noted.
The former president also drew broader lessons from the Oputa family dynamic, using it to reflect on parenting, personal freedom, and acceptance.
He suggested that parents should guide their children but not force them into predetermined life paths, provided their choices remain lawful and constructive.
“How did his father tolerate him when he wasn’t going the way the father wanted him to go?” he asked.
Obasanjo further said the relationship between Charlie Boy and his father demonstrated the importance of allowing individuality to coexist with family expectations.
Beyond the personal story, Obasanjo used the interview to caution against ethnic generalisations and stereotypes in Nigeria.
“If you say the Yorubas are bad because of probably what one Yoruba man had done, or the Fulanis are bad because of what one Fulani man had done, then who’s good?” he asked.
He described Charlie Boy’s memoir 999 as “a masterpiece,” noting that it reflects themes of resilience, family values, and personal expression. The book’s public presentation is expected to take place in Lagos in July.