16th January, 2022
Nollywood actor Femi Branch has reacted to a recent comment by controversial crossdresser, Bobrisky that Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, should marry him.
In a trending video, Bobrisky had said: “The queen’s are in Benin. We are here to disturb Benin. This one no be ‘shere shere’ o! We are here to disturb Benin. Oba of Benin, Bob don enter o! Come and marry me, Oba.”
His comment stirred a wave of backlash on social media, with many users accusing him of “undermining the traditional institution.”
Bobrisky later tendered an apology, claiming he was only joking.
“Hi guys, I have been seeing some little gist about what I said about our honorable and wonderful Oba,” he said.
“I am sorry, I was just joking. I was just cruising, like just chilling. I never knew you people will take it personally.
“So, this is a video to apologize that I am sorry. Please, you guys should not take it personally. And I love you guys so much. Thank you!”
Reacting to the incident in an Instagram live session, the actor said the self-acclaimed transgender’s comment shows that culture and tradition are dying in society.
“A lot of people meet me and say, ‘I don’t really watch Nigerian movies but I watch your own movies. With due apologies, that is one of the dumbest things people say,” he said.
“Is my own movie a Togolese one? That is one of the reasons I respect Benin culture. Look at what happened recently. Bobrisky made a joke. But, there are some institutions you don’t joke with.
“Bobrisky could say he is a Yoruba guy (or babe); however ‘she’ wants to be addressed. He must have been seeing how some Yoruba obas have been behaving in recent times. That must have made him feel he could make such a comment about the revered Oba of Benin.
“It was when he made that statement he realized the Oba of Benin isn’t just any king. Some people thought the reactions were a bit too much but Benin people don’t joke with their culture. And that is because the Oba of Benin does not ‘carry himself’ anyhow.
“Our culture and tradition are dying by the minute and people don’t even seem to be concerned. There was an uproar by the indigenes of Benin because they don’t joke with their king and their king also doesn’t joke with their tradition.
“Do you think if Bobrisky had made such a statement about a Yoruba oba, people would have talked? Let us tell ourselves the truth. Is it normal to see our kings on Instagram frolicking with ‘commoners’?”