Nigerian comedian Emmanuel Ejekwu, widely known as Sabinus, has disclosed that his father initially disapproved of his choice to pursue a career in comedy.
In a candid interview with VJ Adams, Sabinus explained that his father had envisioned a legal career for him. After failing to gain admission into law school, he instead studied Linguistics and Communication Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, where he discovered his flair for comedy and began producing skits.
The comedian revealed that his father’s frustration grew when he eventually learned about Sabinus’ comedy career, at one point regretting funding his education and dismissing the profession as a “stupid business.”
Recalling the early days, Sabinus said, “My dad wanted me to be a lawyer. I couldn’t secure admission, so I pursued Linguistics and Communication Studies. On campus, I began experimenting with skit making, though I wasn’t earning much initially.
“After graduation, I kept my comedy career hidden. It was only a year later, when he started seeing me on comedy show posters and my sisters confirmed it, that he realized I had become a comedian. He was furious, saying, ‘Which comedy? Stupid business. Look at the boy I sent to become a lawyer.’”
Sabinus added that his father eventually came around and gave his blessing after seeing him support the family financially through his comedy work.