This article was first written on August 27, 2026
I was on a call with my wife last night when I saw the news. MC OPJ (also called Diplomatic OPJ) is gone. I screamed. OPJ dead?
OPJ and the rest of his crew got me glued to Wazobia FM years back. Listening to his evening slot made the traffic easier in Lagos. OPJ was irreverent, spontaneous and had an outstanding energy no OAP could match. Sometimes, he spoke like someone tipsy on air but he was always a delight to listen to.
OPJ always had a crew of younger OAPs in the studio with him. I still recall Twi Twi on Evening Oyoyo together with OPJ. Their mode of greeting and response to the call-in audience was simply unmatched. Their pidgin was raw—unfiltered. OPJ loved his Ajegunle background and always spoke about his past. I learnt he was a danfo driver at a point.
Wazobia FM got me then with other OAPs like Yaw, Mayowa, Lolo Omotunde and signature tunes from Emma Oh My God. My car was permanently on Wazobia FM those days. It was after OPJ left Wazobia that I lost interest in the station. Evening Oyoyo was no longer the same and I felt hurt at OPJ’s unceremonius exit. I stopped listening gradually and now my go-to station is Nigeria Info.
One day, the stage will be empty and our performance will be over. What remains is the memory of how we lived. The question is, what kind of memories will you leave behind? Share on XSo much has been written about Ogogo, a gentleman actor and one of the finest in his generation. My first memory of him was seeing him act alongside the late Ireti in Iyawo Alarede (Legal Wife). That was a blockbuster then.
It’s an interesting coincidence that both MC OPJ and Ogogo died at 66, only a few days apart. Their transition, while sad, brings to fore the mortality of every man. Life is a stage and once your performance is over, you exit. We are left with their memories. All of us will become memories too.