by ‘Ifreke Inyang [@Ifreke]

Knock, knock, knock! Who’s here? It’s Ali Baba, the king of comedy himself. Yes, we kicked off our weekly #YNaijaInterview on Twitter today and @ALIBABAGCFR was our first interviewee.

The interview was moderated by Aziza Uko, Y!’s Editor-at-Large, @azizauko .

 
Here’s a full transcript of the interview we had with him earlier today:

@YNaija: @ALIBABAGCFR Welcome, sir. Thanks for taking your time to share your thoughts with YNaija and our followers. #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija MORNING. THANKS. I’m HONOURED #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR You are one of the most accessible celebrities in Nigeria. It’s unusual for a celebrity. Why? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija: I ACTUALLY DON’T SEE IT AS A BIG DEAL. I GUESS ITS THAT PART OF ME THAT WANTS TO BE CONNECTED #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija BESIDES BEING CONNECTED, IT HELPS TO KEEP U IN HUMAN REALMS. STARDOM TAKES U BEYOND REALITY A LOT #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR There has got to be some unpleasant experiences that come with being very accessible. Do you have any? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija SEVERAL. I HAVE TO CONDONE PROFANITY 2 AN EXTENT. I GET INSULTED. AND MY DM IS FILLED WITH TRASHY TALK. AMONGST OTHERS

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR You are one of the very active celebrity personalities on Twitter. What informed your decision to be so? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija I’M DRIVEN BY THOUGHTS… AND I HATE WHEN THOTS HIBERNATE FOR 2 LONG. ITS BEST TO LET THEM FLY AND MAKE ROOM FOR NEW STUFF #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija ADDED TO THAT IS THAT AM A SLAVE OF SPONTANEITY. SO TWITTER HELPS WITH THAT ADDICTION #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR You used to write for some newspapers, what happened with that? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija I BECAME TOO BUSY, RESTLESS AND CONSTANTLY ON D MOVE. I EVEN TRIED WITH NOTES ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE… BUT NAAAA #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR For some time, you’ve been sharing some Knock Knocks, which many find intriguing. Why Knock Knocks? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija KNOCK KNOCKS ARE AMUSING PLAY ON WORDS, DIA PHONETIC VALUES. NOW IF U INFUSE HUMOUR INTO IT GETS EVEN MORE AMUSING #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija SADLY, SOME DON’T GET THEM. BUT THEN AGAIN SO IS SUDOKU & CROSSWORD… ONLY SOME CEREBRAL PPLE PLAY IN DOZ TURFS #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR You’ve been accused of being arrogant and a show-off by some people. Weigh in on that. #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija PPLE RATE YOU ON YARDSTICKS & IF THEY DONT SEE U EXHIBIT DEM, U ARE NOT DER YET. WHEN U DEN SHOW U HAVE IT, U R A SHOW OFF #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR You’ve probably shared this uncountable times. But, we have to ask: How did you get into comedy? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija BY ACCIDENT. A STRIP TEASE SHOW, IN BENSU WENT WRONG IN 1988, SO I WAS INVITED TO SAVE D DAY. AND THE REST IS… #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR What would your life be like if you didn’t get your first break in comedy? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija I WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN IN ENTERTAINMENT OR A RELATED SECTOR. TV, RADIO, ADVERTISING, PR, JOURNALISM…#YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR During the Obasanjo regime, you were the ‘official’ compere for govt events? Tell us, how did it happen? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija BODE GEORGE INVITED ME 2 DO A 10 MINS ACT FOR OBJ’S BIRTHDAY, IN 2002. HE HAD NOT SEEN MY KIND OF COMEDY. I TRIED #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija OBJ LIKED IT & HE ALWAYS WANTED ME AT MOST EVENTS. BESIDES, I HAD LEARNT HOW NOT 2 OFFEND WHILE BEING FUNNY #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR You’ve become indisputably Nigeria’s biggest comedian. How does it feel to be a leader in your field? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija LOTS OF SACRIFICES. MANY LOOK UP 2 ME, SO I MUST LiVE ABOVE BOARD & CANT DO EVENTS OF 500K EVEN IF I NEED D MONEY #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija SAY I GET CALLED 4 AN EVENT & I ASK 4 1M, D CLIENT SAYS 500K, I HV 2 TURN IT DOWN BCOS IT WILL PEG MY JUNIORS’ FEES #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR Is there a comedian, past or present, who you particularly admire? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija SEVERAL & EACH 4 THEIR UNIQUE EDGE. TEJU BABYFACE, OBAKPORORO, BOVI, BUCHI, GORDONS, MC, ABBEY, AY, GBENGA D 1ST…#YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija D BIG GUNS… OKEY BAKASSI, MOHAMMED DANJUMA, YIBO KOKO, BASORGE TARIAH, BASKETMOUTH, JULIUS,… I ADMIRE DIA ACTS #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR Do audiences or fans heckle you? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija I HAVE PERFECTED D ACT OF SHOOTING DOWN HECKLERS, IT’S A WALK IN D PARK FOR ME. #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija DEPENDS ON D AUDIENCE. IF U HECKLE ME AT A PRESIDENTIAL DINNER… I WILL KILL YOUR POLITICAL CAREER WITH ONE SHOT #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR What’s your most memorable heckler experience? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija AT D SHRINE WITH FELA, IT WAS IN D NOW COMPUTER VILLAGE. WIA I DID D BORN ON A PUBLIC HOLIDAY/ QUESTION MARK YABBIS #YNaijaIntervie

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR Do people ever walk up to you and say mean things like “Ali Baba, you are not even funny sef!” #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija YES. ONE MAN FOUND OUT I WAS PAID 1M FOR HIS COMPANY’S AWARDS NITE & HE MADE IT CLEAR EVEN WHEN ODAS WERE LAUGHING #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija ANODA TOLD ME I WASN’T & POINTED AT A GUY ON STAGE “NOW DATS FUNNY” AND D GUY WAS DOING MY JOKES! #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR During the ABSU rape scandal, you showed an impassioned anger towards rape. From where did that come? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija I HAVE SEVERAL SISTERS, NIECES, COUSINS & DAUGHTERS… ANY1 UNFIT TO BE CALLED A MAN NEEDS TO BE TOLD SO. LOUDLY TOO#YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR What things really tick you off. Like make you really really mad? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija ILLITERACY. UNWAVERING IGNORANCE. LAZINESS. ENVY SEASOND WITH BAD BELLE. GREED. DISRESPECT. FILTH. UNPROCESSED TALK #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija I HATE HYPOCRITES & GUYS WHO TAKE CREDIT FOR WHAT DEY DIDN’T DO.. OH! & PPLE WHO GENERALIZE. #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:   @ALIBABAGCFR Can you give us a scenario of an “unprocessed talk”? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija WHY SHOULD WE PAY A COMEDIAN 500K TO “JUST” COME & CRACK JOKES? #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:   @ALIBABAGCFR We know you are outspoken. Have you ever had a reason to confront someone who was generalising? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija SEVERALLY. SOME GUYS CALLED A LADY IN AN SUV, RUNS GIRLS. SO I CALLED HER BACK, TOOK HER CARD & GAVE DEM. INVESTMENT BANKER #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR What would you rate as the most bizarre conversation you’ve ever had with a stranger? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija SOME LADY I MET IN A TRAIN IN UK WHO WANTED ME TO DONATE SPERM FOR HER IVF BCOS I WAS SOLVING “DEVILISH SUDOKU” #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:   @ALIBABAGCFR On the other hand, what makes you really, really happy? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija MY KIDS. MY WIFE. MY JOB.KINDNESS. LOVE. GOOD MOVIE. GRATITUDE. GOOD MUSIC. TECHNOLOGY. SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR What happened to your events place, XQZ Moi, it went quiet some years ago? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija NO PARKING SPACE AT ALL, AT ALL. SO WHEN D ENTRANCE TO D PALMS WAS CLOSED BRF SAID “ORE, EXCEPT U HAVE PARKING” #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR You are also known to have a rich library. What drives your investment in books? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija IM FROM A VERY AVERAGE FAMILY. ALL MY DAD GAVE US WAS HOW 2 READ & WRITE & D QUEST 4 KNOWLEDGE, DRIVEN BY “I WANT” #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:  @ALIBABAGCFR Do you have favourite things like food, artiste, actor, film, etc? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija FOOD: DODO AND BEANS. EGUSI SOUP. BOLI. AGBALUMO. WAFFLES. COCONUT RICE, BANANA, SOUR SOP… #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija FILMS: ANYTHING BUT HORROR #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija ACTORS: SAMUEL JACKSON. MY LOOK ALIKE, DENZEL. WILL SMITH, MORGAN FREEMAN, FORREST WHITAKER, BRAD, JACK BAUER, DE NIRO AFFLECK, LEE JONES, PACINO… #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR Are there any plans to run for elected office in your future? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija NEVER! NEVER!

@YNaija:   @ALIBABAGCFR You are very vocal about your poor appraisal of our govts, if invited to work for govt, would you say yes? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija I NO GO GO. I WILL NOT LAST. THEM GO SACK ME. #YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:   @ALIBABAGCFR We’ll close the interview with this: What should people take away from your story? #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija BE TRUE TO YOUR CAUSE IF ITS A TRUE CAUSE. BE YOURSELF AND MAKE SURE U MAKE PEOPLE GREATER THAN U MET THEM.#YNaijaInterview

@YNaija:   Thanks so much for your time @ALIBABAGCFR – this has been an amazing time understanding you and what drives you! #YNaijaInterview

@ALIBABAGCFR: @YNaija ANYTIME. I’m A HUMBLED. THANKS #YNaijaInterview