Nigeria, Oct 7, 2016 – As part of the move to promote religious tolerance and peace nationwide, 2Baba on the 4th of October, 2016, visited Sokoto State.
The musician who was welcomed with a lot of conviviality spoke at length on arrival to members of both the Christian and Muslim communities in Sokoto state on the need to bridge whatever religious gap that could endanger their peaceful co-existence and come together to make the state and country at large, a peaceful place.
On the second day of his trip, the music icon led his eight-man team on a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of the state, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’as Abubakar, the twentieth Sultan of Sokoto.
The visit turned out to be very successful as the Sultan not only welcomed them warmly, he also endorsed the singer’s campaign and gave a very inspiring speech on the need for peace.
He stated first that it gave him much pleasure to see the youth canvass for peace and peaceful coexistence.
On the issue of religious intolerance in Nigeria, the ruler said nobody choose which country or religion to be born. “God decided that but as we grow, religion should become a personal belief and a choice. When a young person decides to pick up weapons in the name of religion, he debases himself to a criminal and a criminal is a criminal as there is nothing like a Christian or Muslim criminal or terrorist”.
The Sultan added “Islam as a religion is not a violent one. As few of you know, Rev. Kukah is a very good friend of mine. He has been my friend even before I became a Sultan, while I was in the army. He is a Christian and I am a Muslim and we have gotten along so well over the years. I remain resolute on the view that you cannot love God if you do not love your neighbour. Youth, if anybody asks you to pick up a weapon, tell him to bring their kid to lead”.
The Sultan’s speech received a resounding applause after which 2Baba expressed his gratitude over the Sultan’s endorsement and the warm welcome he received from the people of Sokoto. Furthermore, he urged the youth to henceforth be ambassadors of peace, living in peace and preaching the need to love one another.
The two day trip came to a befitting end at the Gala night that saw 2Baba perform some of his hit tracks to the excitement of his teeming fans while a host of talented local acts in the state performed at the event.
Easily the most celebrated artiste of his generation, Innocent Ujah Idibia is credited with being one of the key figures in the rise to global prominence of what has been described as the sound of 21st century Africa. His distinctive blend of reggae, R & B and traditional African musical influence creates a vibe that is contemporary and universal while maintaining a clear African identity.
Born in Jos, Plateau State on September 18, 1975 to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Idibia, the young man fell in love with music from a tender age and journeyed to Lagos after a diploma programme at IMT Enugu with Austin Ahmedu popularly known as Blackface in 1997 and alongside Chibuzor Orji aka Faze. They launched the boy band, Plantashun Boiz that took the nation by storm and created the template for a new Naija pop sound. Plantashun Boiz disbanded in 2004 and 2Baba released his debut solo album in the same year.
The celebrated artiste has five very successful albums to his name; Face 2 Face (2004); Grass 2 Grace, (2006); The Unstoppable (2008); plus the revolutionary Unstoppable : Int’l Edition (2010), Away & Beyond (2012) and almost two dozen hit collaborations . The Otukpo, Benue State native has proved his class, versatility and staying power beyond doubt and earned the status of a superstar and cultural icon.
Innocent Idibia is a recipient of countless awards/honours, and has achieved enviable milestone in his music career. A peep into his trophy cabinet reveals that 2Baba is recognized internationally. He has performed in over 100 cities in more than 50 countries around the world including Australia, Switzerland, Russia, Barbados, Seychelles, Malaysia, Jamaica, Canada, Ukraine, Trinidad and Tobago, Namibia, France, Cyprus and Kenya.
He is married to Annie Idibia and is the founder of Hypertek Entertainment.
