Tag: Tayo Sobola

For years, fans have eagerly awaited the full return of Tayo Sobola to Nollywood, but despite multiple announcements, she has remained largely absent from the big screen. In this interview with ADENIYI ADEWOYIN, she opens up about the real reasons behind her prolonged hiatus, the challenges of producing cinema movies in today’s industry, and her decision to focus on YouTube to cater to everyday Nigerians. She also speaks candidly about her unexpected royal appointment as the Sarauniya (Queen Mother) of the Uke Kingdom in Nasarawa. From her evolving perspective on motherhood to her political aspirations. Nothing is off the table in this tell-all conversation.

You have been on a long hiatus in Nollywood even though you announced your return twice in 2023 and 202 but we haven’t seen you in action, when will you return to the movie set fully? Then I thought I could come back on screen but motherhood took me away. I tried to come back but I am really back this time around for my personal project and other people’s projects.

Are you working on any major film now?

I am not producing cinema movies right now because I don’t have the money. It’s only rich people that do cinema movies and I don’t have that money right now. The truth is not everybody has the money to walk into the cinemas to watch movies. Every average person now tries as much as they can to go on YouTube to watch movies. Recently, I’ve been getting comments on my social media pages asking when I’ll be back on screen. But the thing is if I say I’m going to the cinema now, it’s more like me trying to prove a standard and if we look at it properly, that is how it’s supposed to be and that is where I belong. But what happens to average people who can’t afford the cinema? Transport to and fro and cinema tickets aren’t cheap but they can easily watch movies on YouTube in their comfort zone. I want to feed the eyes of those who cannot afford to go to the cinema because I am for the masses. But I am open to both.

Filmmakers are recreating their old movies, will you also be reproducing your breakout movie ‘Arewa Onijogbon?’

People have been asking me to reproduce my movies like ‘Bella’ but I can’t do it and still take it back to YouTube. I understand that there is something going on in the cinema corridor these days and there’s no stability in some parts and trust me, I’m not ready to waste my brain. I don’t want to waste my brain to do anything relating to that. I want to make money, not trouble.

What’s your opinion on the recreation of old classic movies?

Everybody knows that I don’t like interfering in people’s business but if we have to be very honest, the old movies will forever remain better than whatever anybody is trying to recreate because if it did not sync well you would not want to recreate it. Recreating your old movie is like a bank asking you to come and update your passport. For whatever reason I think that the old ones still feel better than the new ones.

What has changed since you became a mother?

Nothing has changed except that I’m now more emotional when it comes to children. There are things that I see on social media before that I don’t really pay attention to but now I feel emotional about them. There’s a limit to how I can take anything that has to do with kids.

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We haven’t heard much about your foundation, what’s happening?

It’s because there is no money. Some people said I was funded by the government but that’s not true. I use my money. I only share what I have. I have been touching lives privately though, I only took it away from the public’s eyes.

It was rumoured that you went into politics, can you clear that?

Of course, I will still go into politics when the time is right. I studied public administration in school.

It is believed that entertainers who enter politics end up as Special Assistants to politicians. What is your take on that?

So many people are sitting in a position that they don’t have a certificate for, so what do you expect? I can call names but I won’t. So many SAs but can’t even read a proper speech. If you as an SA are up to the task, your proprietor would be at peace when they ask you to represent them at important functions. For instance, Dammy Marshal is a lawyer and SA, the person she’s working with can ask her as an SA can say go and represent me because he or she knows Dammy can deliver. But how many of your SAs go to represent their bosses?

Is it a good time to be celebrated as a female filmmaker in Nollywood?

If you say so, everyone has their take. If you have what it takes to go there, go! It’s a completion if you ask me. People are competing. But do not forget that some people are in competition with other people’s money. I am extremely proud of the entertainment industry.

How has life been as the Queen mother of Uke Kingdom in Nasarawa State?

Life as the Queen Mother of Uke Kingdom in Nasarawa has been good with no hassles. This is me in Lagos and I can always control whatever I have to control over there. If they need me to do anything I do it.

Your fans are curious to know who you are married to…

My husband is a man, a full-grown man, a well-known man and a man that can speak English.

Can you shed more light on how you became the Sarauniya (Queen Mother), of the Uke Kingdom because a lot of people think that it is equivalent to Olori in Yorubaland?

I didn’t pick myself nor did I know anything about it. I didn’t even know anybody there when I went there. We went for charity work, myself and one man spoke to me that we should go for the charity work. The guy came to my shop in Abuja and begged me to go, so I picked an outfit from the ones I was selling, wore it and headed to Nasarawa.  Immediately we got there, we all sat down waiting for the Emir to come out.  As we sat, a guy came and was saying something to the guy I came with but I wasn’t bothered, later on, the Emir came out and said I should sit beside him. I noticed that people started trooping in but I didn’t understand their language. Then the Emir told me that I wouldn’t be leaving his palace that day until they gave me this title. I was confused because I didn’t know them from anywhere. Apparently, where I sat down the moment I came in was the seat of the former title holder and they’ve been waiting for years for a stranger who would come and sit there. So anytime a stranger comes into the palace, the palace soothsayer usually makes consultations to know if the person is the chosen one. The guy who took me there was also very surprised. They gave me that position that same day.

Nollywood actress, Tayo Sobola, has shared the unexpected and mysterious circumstances that led to her being crowned the Sarauniya (Queen Mother) of Uke Kingdom in Nasarawa State.

In a chat with The Nation, she recounted how what started as a simple charity visit turned into a life-changing moment.

“I didn’t pick myself, nor did I know anything about it,” she explained. “I was invited to join a charity mission in Uke by an acquaintance who visited my shop in Abuja. He pleaded with me to come along, and I agreed. I simply picked an outfit from my collection, wore it, and left for Nasarawa.”

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Sobola revealed that upon arrival at the Emir’s palace, she and her team sat waiting for the Emir to appear. While waiting, she noticed an intense conversation between her companion and another man but paid little attention to it. Soon after, the Emir emerged and unexpectedly invited her to sit beside him.

She noticed people gathering, speaking in a language she did not understand. Then, the Emir made an announcement that she would not be leaving the palace until she was bestowed with the title of Sarauniya.

Confused and taken aback, Sotayo, as she’s fondly called, sought an explanation. “Apparently, where I sat down upon entering the palace was the seat of the former Sarauniya, and the kingdom had been waiting for years for a stranger to come and unknowingly occupy the seat,” she recounted. “Each time a visitor entered the palace, the palace soothsayer would consult the spirits to determine if the person was the destined successor. That day, it turned out to be me.”