When Innocent Ujah Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, declared early this year that his matrimonial issue is “nobody’s business”, he might have thought he was simply exercising his right to privacy, and, in fairness, he was. Every human being, no matter how famous, deserves a boundary between their personal life and the public sphere. But in the same breath, one must tell the plain truth: once an individual becomes a celebrity of 2Baba’s magnitude, their life ceases to be entirely private.
Whether he accepts it or not, 2Baba’s marriage, divorce, remarriage, and public pronouncements have all become a matter of national discussion. And this is not merely because Nigerians love gossip, but because celebrities, by virtue of their influence, have become social barometers, shaping public morality, youth behaviour, and even perceptions about love and marriage.
At this juncture, permit this writer to throw insight into the fallacy of “It’s My Private Life” by recalling that In early 2025, shortly after announcing his divorce from his long-time partner, actress Annie Macaulay-Idibia that 2Baba went on a public tirade, insisting that his marital life was off-limits. “You weren’t in my marriage, so don’t tell me how to live my life,” he snapped in a social media post. He warned critics not to “disrespect” his new wife, Natasha Osawaru, an Edo State lawmaker, or face the consequences.
Drawing from the facts that are inherent in the foregoing views, it is germane to opine that his demand for privacy immediately clashed with the realities of celebrity life. In fact, a man who has spent over two decades in the public eye, whose songs have shaped emotional memories and romantic ideals for millions, cannot suddenly draw an invisible line around his personal affairs. Fame does not come with an on-and-off switch. You cannot court the spotlight when it brings applause and then reject it when it brings accountability.
When 2Baba claimed that the public had no right to question his decisions, he ignored the very foundation of his fame, “public interest”. The same public that bought his albums, streamed his music, attended his concerts, and made him a cultural icon, cannot suddenly be told to “mind their business.” Once a person becomes a public figure, the public becomes part of that business.
It would be simplistic to discuss 2Baba’s marital controversy without tracing its timeline. The drama began when he publicly confirmed his separation from Annie in January 2025, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Barely weeks later, he shocked Nigerians by proposing to Natasha Osawaru, a sitting Edo State lawmaker. Their private traditional wedding in July 2025 attracted overwhelming attention, not because of love, but because of how swiftly the events unfolded.
The situation worsened after a July 2025 podcast appearance, where 2Baba controversially declared that “men are not naturally monogamous.” That single comment, coming from a man whose love songs once defined fidelity and affection, instantly divided the public. His apology that followed, addressed to his new wife and his fans, did little to douse the outrage.
Then came the bizarre twist in February 2025, when reports emerged that 2Baba had gone “missing”. His family reportedly filed a missing person complaint with the “State Security Service (SSS)”, fearing he had been abducted or coerced. He reappeared two months later, joking about the episode during a comedy show, saying he had simply been seeking “peace of mind.”
All through this rollercoaster, 2Baba maintained that his marital decisions were private, personal, and nobody’s business. But each event unfolded publicly, through interviews, social media updates, and viral commentary. Unfortunately, the highly-talented Afropop and Afro-R&B artist fails to realize that If anyone broadcast his or her personal journey, the public will tune in.
At this juncture, it is expedient to remind 2Baba that celebrity life attracts the prices of public adoration and condemnation. So, it is naïve for him or any other celebrity to think that fame is a one-way street. Fame comes with adoration, and scrutiny. You cannot have one without the other. The very currency of celebrity is public attention. The moment you become a household name, your life becomes a public performance, and your choices , moral or immoral, become teachable moments to millions who look up to you.
2Baba’s fans are not just consumers of his music; they are believers in his persona. For over two decades, Nigerians have sung along to “African queen”, “If love Is a crime”, and “For instance”, seeing him as a symbol of genuine love, humility, and staying power. His marriage to Annie Macaulay-Idibia once embodied endurance and forgiveness, even amid his well-publicized infidelities. It gave hope to many that love could conquer flaws.
So when he divorced Annie and quickly remarried, his fans felt a sense of betrayal, not because they had any legal right to his personal life, but because his actions contradicted the very ideals he once represented. It is the public image paradox: 2Baba the man may be free to do as he pleases, but 2Baba the brand is owned, in part, by the public that built him.
Celebrities, especially in Nigeria, are not mere entertainers. They are “moral references”. They define what is fashionable, what is acceptable, and what is aspirational. Their words and lifestyles ripple through society, especially among the youth.
In the age of TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), young Nigerians follow celebrities not only for entertainment but for direction. When someone of 2Baba’s stature says “men are not naturally monogamous,” he is not just airing a personal view, he is influencing a generation.
This kind of public rhetoric can easily normalize irresponsibility and emotional instability in relationships. It subtly tells men that cheating is “natural” and tells women that endurance is foolish. Such narratives, when amplified by fame, erode the social value of marriage and commitment.
The foregoing view is why 2Baba’s claim that his marriage is “nobody’s business” falls flat. He made it everybody’s business the moment he chose to speak, post, and perform under public gaze. A man cannot throw a public wedding, make controversial comments on a podcast, disappear mysteriously, resurface on stage, and still insist his life is private. That is hypocrisy, not privacy.
At this juncture, it is germane not to underestimate the vicarious influence of celebrities. Young fans unconsciously mimic their heroes, from fashion to speech, from attitudes toward love to values in marriage. When 2Baba makes impulsive romantic decisions or justifies them in interviews, he validates similar behaviour among his followers.
Many of these fans, especially the impressionable Gen Z audience, are still forming their moral compass. They interpret celebrity behaviour as a guidepost. So when 2Baba divorces, remarries hastily, and defends his actions with macho rhetoric, he is not just making personal choices, he is exporting behavioural templates into the social bloodstream.
That is why his situation transcends gossip; it is a public concern. In a country already battling family instability, rising divorce rates, and declining respect for marital vows, celebrity behaviour has real consequences. Whether he likes it or not, 2Baba’s actions help shape how millions perceive relationships, loyalty, and accountability.
Celebrities often misunderstand their relationship with the public. They think fame is ownership of the spotlight, when in fact, it is a shared space. The fans, the media, and the public collectively sustain that spotlight.
When 2Baba says “mind your business,” he overlooks the fact that his very livelihood thrives on public attention. If everyone truly minded their business, he would have no audience, no sales, and no brand. The public cannot be reduced to consumers when it is convenient and dismissed as intruders when it is not.
Against the backdrop of the foregoing views, it is not out of place to opine that fame is a contract; unspoken but binding. The fans provide visibility; the celebrity provides value. But visibility comes with scrutiny, and scrutiny demands accountability. That is why stars like 2Baba must understand that being a role model is not a voluntary role; it is an occupational hazard of fame.
Ironically, this is not the first time 2Baba has been in this situation. Back in 2021, during one of his infamous online spats with Annie, he admitted that taking family issues to social media was wrong. He claimed he had learned his lesson and would protect his family’s privacy going forward.
Yet, here we are again, the same public display, the same contradictions, the same blame game. The lesson remains unlearned.
If 2Baba truly values peace of mind, he must start by living the humility and discretion he once preached through his songs. He must realize that defending moral inconsistency in public will only deepen public scrutiny. The mature response is not defiance but introspection.
At this juncture, permit this writer to conclude by throwing insight to why his marriage is our business. In fact, 2Baba’s marital issue is everybody’s business, not because Nigerians are nosey, but because 2Baba is not just any man. He is a public figure whose career, lifestyle, and utterances carry social weight. His choices, like those of every celebrity, have consequences beyond his household.
As much as he desires privacy, he must recognize that privacy is a privilege, not a right, for those who thrive on public exposure. If he wishes to be left alone, he must step back from the limelight, not virally posting every outing he is at the moment having with Natasha; his latest darling wife. Until then, he remains both a cultural symbol and a moral reference point, for better or worse. His marital choices will continue to provoke debate because, in a society desperate for authentic role models, what our celebrities do, or fail to do, shape that we become.
In the final analysis, 2Baba should stop fighting public scrutiny and start earning public respect again, by aligning his actions with the virtues he once sang about. Because, in the court of public opinion, you cannot plead privacy when you live in publicity.
