Veteran comic actor Abiodun Ayoyinka, popularly known as Papa Ajasco, has adopted a new stage identity.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the 65-year-old said he couldn’t independently use the Papa Ajasco character outside its original platform.
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In an interview with media personality Lucky Udu, he stated that the restriction made it difficult to secure endorsement deals, film roles, and other public appearances.
However, in a video that went viral on Sunday, the actor announced that he had rebranded himself as “Bondu Alaska.”
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The video was posted on his Instagram page on Saturday.
“Ladies and gentlemen, good morning, Nigerians. My name is Bondu Alaska— the one and only. I want to use this medium to thank all Nigerians; they have done a lot for me in my life. I am a new person now. I promise I will not let you down,” he said in the video.
Backstory
This newspaper reported that the producer of Papa Ajasco, Wale Adenuga, dismissed Ayoyinka’s claims as misleading, unfounded and untrue.
He maintained that he enjoyed a cordial relationship with the actor, whom he described as highly versatile and closely aligned with the original Papa Ajasco cartoon character.
He added that Ayoyinka had portrayed the role successfully for many years, remained on good terms with him, and benefited from various forms of support throughout his time on the show.
According to him, the actor had, at different times, been provided with vehicles by the production company, including a Mercedes-Benz.
Mr Adenuga further explained that the Papa Ajasco character is a registered trademark, which prevents its independent use for personal or commercial ventures.
However, he clarified that Ayoyinka had not been restricted from taking up advertising opportunities, provided proper approval was obtained from Wale Adenuga Productions (WAP).
Papa Ajasco
The sitcom Papa Ajasco and Company ranked among Nigeria’s most popular television programmes in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Created by Mr Adenuga, it evolved from earlier comic productions into a staple of Nigerian television.
Renowned for its exaggerated humour and strong moral themes, the show featured memorable characters such as Pa James, Boy Alinco, Pa Alinco, Miss Pepeiye, and Papa Ajasco, a bald, perpetually unlucky patriarch whose misfortunes often drove the storyline.
Widely broadcast on terrestrial television, the sitcom helped shape Nigeria’s early comedy landscape and earned its cast nationwide recognition long before the advent of social media entertainment.
