Why 2Baba’s marriage to Annie didn’t survive fame, pressure- Baba Fryo

“Men can love their wives, but in Africa, there’s no such thing as men cheating. Tradition permits men ...”

Nigerian singer Friday ‘Baba Fryo’ Igweh has shared his thoughts on the separation between his colleague, Innocent ‘2Baba’ Idibia, and his wife of 12 years, Annie Macaulay.

He also commented on 2Baba’s new relationship with Natasha Osawaru, a serving Edo State House of Assembly member.

In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported that 2Baba announced his separation from Annie, and by the following month, he proposed to Ms Osawaru.

Since the announcement, the breakup and his budding relationship with the lawmaker have remained a topic of public discussion.

On ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast, Baba Fryo shared his unique insights into the breakdown of 2Baba and Annie’s marriage, sparking a thought-provoking discussion.

The ‘Dem go dey pose’ hitmaker said: “When a man marries a fellow celebrity, both partners understand each other’s business. The woman knows the man’s work, and the man also understands the nature of the woman’s profession. So, when the man does something, she’s likely to understand.

“But if the woman isn’t a celebrity, she may not understand. Take Adekunle Gold and his wife, Simi, for example. They understood each other and were familiar with each other’s movement patterns. But when I think about my brother and friend, 2Baba, and his wife, Annie, a celebrity, I’d say they didn’t manage themselves well.”

Peace of mind

The singer also emphasised that every man needs a woman who brings him peace of mind.

He stated that caring for her husband is a woman’s responsibility.

“Annie is an actress, while 2Baba is a singer. Now, let’s do a little analysis. When a couple gets married, the woman’s responsible for watching over the man and calming him down when they’re out socialising. If the man drinks too much, the woman should be able to control the situation. But if both of them are heavy drinkers, they could lose control in public, and neither will be in a position to take the other home.

“When a man notices these traits in a woman, he may become insecure. If he later meets another woman with good character who doesn’t drink and behaves differently, he might choose to leave the former. 2Baba’s current partner is someone I’ve known since she was three years old. I used to carry Natasha Osawaru on my lap when she was young because her father and I were close friends back in the day”, said Baba Fryo.

Baba Fryo clarified that he was not in a position to speak about Natasha’s character as an adult.

However, he suggested that 2Baba might have found in Natasha what he possibly could not find in Annie.

He said, “But when everything started happening, I thought maybe 2Baba saw something he liked in Natasha. Perhaps he no longer had peace with Annie for one reason or another. A man will thrive if he finds a woman who truly understands him. It’s not that 2Baba can’t release new music—it’s just that his mind is dealing with so much right now.

“That’s one reason many celebrities prefer to live alone without partners. 2Baba and Annie hustled together before money came into the picture. But here’s the thing: when money arrives, many issues come with it. If a woman can’t compose herself, she might go astray. I’m not saying Annie did anything wrong; I wasn’t in their marriage.”

Cheating

Baba Fryo stated that men rarely walk away from a relationship solely because a woman was unfaithful.

He said deeper, underlying issues often drive their (men’s) decision to leave.

“Men can love their wives, but in Africa, there’s no such thing as men cheating. Tradition permits men to marry more than one wife, but doesn’t allow women to do the same.

“Before a man marries a woman, he spends much more than just giving her flowers. So, after doing all that, wouldn’t you expect him to see himself as lord over the woman? That’s just the reality”, he noted.