14. Keeping Athena Company - President Obonjo

I was joined by character comedian President Obonjo otherwise known as Benjamin Bankole Bello. We chat about spending formative years in Nigeria, starting comedy a little later in life and whether or not we'll see this mad dictator in Nollywood. Plus he has a hidden talent...press play and all will be revealed. Benjamin is a treat and this was a pleasure to record!

 

More about President Obonjo:

 

n the age of Trump, populism and Brexit, the world probably doesn’t need another bloated ego pretending to give easy solutions. Thankfully what we need is a comedy character who skewers them with precision, hilarity and who isn't afraid at showing vulnerability.

Following civil unrest due to the President’s long periods of absence to go and secretly perform stand up comedy in Britain, there was a military coup in the Lafta Republic. The official line is that President Obonjo was tried and executed for his neglect of the Laftarian people with his decapitated head stuffed and mounted in their new government headquarters. However, some say it's a myth and has instead moved to St Albans where he now performs headline spots and festival shows throughout the United Kingdom. 

 

President Obonjo,  is an upcoming and increasingly successful stand-up comedian and who has been peforming Comedy for the past 10 years.. As the larger-than-life, uber-confident, self-appointed, side-splitting dictator of 'Lafta Republic', President Obonjo has quietly been leading a comedy revolution to become the first President to take over the comedy industry by storm. He has been creating rumblings by storming New Act competitions including winning Luton Comedian of the Year, Runner-Up at Great Yorkshire Fringe and was a finalist in the Naty New Act of the . His previous solo show President Obonjo Stole My Identity was performed in 2015 at Bath Comedy Festival, Brighton Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals in 2015  and 2017  to packed crowds and critical acclaim.

 

President Obonjo took his third Edinburgh Show titled Goodbye Mr President to the fringe in 2019