Renowned dramatists Prof. Ahmed Yerima and Ola Awakan disclosed plans to immortalise President Bola Tinubu’s mother, the late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, on stage with a play titled “Abibatu Mogaji, the Opera.”.
Awakan, executive producer of the play, said at a news conference in Lagos that the play would premiere on June 15 in Abuja and June 23 in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late Alhaja Mogaji was a business magnate and the Ìyál’ọ́jà of Lagos.
Mogaji was born on October 16, 1916, and died on June 15, 2013.
Awakan said that after the premier, the play would go on a tour of major cities in the country.
According to him, the play is also to commemorate the late Mogaji’s 11th year of remembrance.
“The play, “Abibatu Mogaji, the Opera,” is to celebrate the journey to success of one of the most powerful women leaders in the political landscape of Nigeria and a very successful business magnate,” he said.
“The unveiling of the project is also a birthday gift to President Tinubu as he marks his 72nd birthday.”
In his remarks, Yerima said his interest in the play was to tell the story of a great woman who withered all storms to become successful and also raised a child who is now the president of Nigeria.
He said the project was also to celebrate the strength of motherhood by spotlighting the pains, joys, struggles, and successes of Mama Mogaji and the benefits of political mentorship.
“This is also to chronicle the genesis of praise singing in grassroots politics in Nigeria and showcase the revolution of productive structural market business in Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)
