PUNCH
When popstar, Innocent Idibia, aka 2baba, announced that his marriage to actress and reality show star, Annie (nee Macaulay), had ended, it unlocked a flurry of accusations and counter-accusations. TOFARATI IGE takes a look at the genesis of the once admired union and the intrigues that marked its chequered history leading to its anticlimactic end
The announcement
On Sunday, January 26, 2025, 2baba ended a fairy tale that many had come to love for years. In a terse post on social media, he announced that he and Annie, his wife of almost 12 years, had gone their separate ways.
He wrote, “Hello to my beautiful people of all federations. Well, this thing I have to say is short but also long…I and Annie Macaulay have been separated for a while now. And currently filed (sic) divorce…I would grant a press release soon to say my story…not because it is anyone’s right to know about my personal life; but because I love my people and I need them to know my innocence or offense. Stay blessed, my people. I love you all.”
Though the post was later deleted, with the claim that his account had been hacked, the singer put out a video, asserting that he was the one who made the initial post.
Back and forth
A source close to the couple told Saturday Beats exclusively that some members of the singer’s team were not pleased that he made the information public at that time. According to the source, in a bid to carry out some form of damage control, they had to claim that his account was hacked.
“Those close to the Idibia family know that all has not been well for some time. They have just been patching things up. As a matter of fact, some members of his team were not happy that the singer made the announcement in that manner on Sunday. That’s why another person quickly posted from the same account, claiming that it had been hacked.
“But you could see that 2baba himself later posted another video maintaining that his account was not hacked.
“However, they have reached an agreement that he should not post anything else, and not grant any interview.
“I am close to both 2baba and Annie, and I love them both. I don’t want to say anything that might be misconstrued to mean that I’m taking sides with one person against the other.”
Buttressing our source’s claim, Tiwa Savage’s former husband and manager, Tunji Balogun, aka Teebillz, in an interview with Daddy Freeze, stated that the singer should not be blamed for the action he took, because he was in the best position to know what he was facing in his marriage.
Using his divorce story as an example, Teezillz described 2baba as a pipe that had been withstanding pressure for so long until he could not take it again.
The popstar and his African Queen
Tall and lanky, with the look of an innocent teenager (no pun intended), 2face (as he was then known) was every girl’s dream. His silky voice added to his charm, and it was no wonder that music lovers— both male and female— could not get enough of him and his songs.
Formerly with the popular boy band, Plantashun Boiz, 2face and his former group members— Augustine Ahmedu (Blackfaze) and Chibuzor Oji (Faze)— held sway from the late 90s to the early 2000s before they went their separate ways.
But, it was after he went solo, that 2face truly embraced superstardom. His debut solo album, ‘Face 2 Face’, topped charts and garnered international acclaim. By far the most popular song on the album— ‘African Queen’— further cemented his status as a heartthrob and sex symbol, particularly among black women all over the world.
It was in the video for ‘African Queen’ that many got to know about the young singer’s then girlfriend, Annie Macaulay, who was also a budding actress.
They seemed to be a match made in heaven and many were enamoured by their love story. It was reported that Annie was 2face’s first love, and that they had been involved right from when she was a teenager. It was also alleged that she contributed a lot, including finances, to the growth of his career. Thus, many naturally assumed that they would walk down the aisle someday. It was only just a matter of time, their admirers reckoned.
Era of baby mothers
However, like a Nollywood movie, the love story soon developed several shocking twists.
Gossip magazines and tabloids had a field day reporting that 2face had impregnated a popular make-up artiste and socialite, Pero Adeniyi. Barely had the public recovered from the “shock” before it was reported that the singer had put another woman, Sunmbo Adeoye (nee Ajaba), in the family way.
All the while, Annie was still in the picture and many of their fans and admirers could not make sense of the weird drama that seemed to be unravelling before their eyes. Amidst the intrigues, Annie also had a daughter for the singer.
Some years down the line, the baby count had climbed to an astonishing six children from three different women. By this time, 2face had become the butt of jokes of comedians, actors and even fellow singers. In some quarters, he was even held up as a poster boy for promiscuity and recklessness in the entertainment industry.
A fairytale wedding
Like a well-scripted Hollywood romance blockbuster, 2face and Annie got married in 2013, making many excited on their behalf.
It seemed to be the perfect climax for a love story that had been marked by several intrigues.
Several admirers of the coupled expressed joy that true love had apparently prevailed. Annie was hailed for sticking to 2face amidst the baby mama dramas, even though she met him first. On the other hand, 2face was lauded for making a honest woman out of Annie at a time when many had already subjected her to ridicule.
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