Nigerian Fuji musician Adewale Ayuba shared his reasons for converting to Christianity in a recent interview with Teju Babyface . Speaking about his conversion, Ayuba said he chose a different path from the Islamic religion following his struggle with praying in Arabic and his desire to worship where he feels closest to God.
He said, “I chose Jesus Christ because he proclaimed, ‘I am the truth, the way, and the life’. This is my personal choice, and it brings me happiness.”Despite his shift in faith, Ayuba stressed his respect for his Muslim background and shared that many of his band members are Muslims, with whom he continues to pray together.
During the interview, Ayuba recounted how he travelled to America with his band in 1995 for a three-month summer show but could not go to Nigeria due to threats from the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha.
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According to Ayuba, the threats followed his release of an album advocating for the freedom of political detainees, which included the late Moshood Abiola. After Abacha’s death, Ayuba returned to Nigeria in 1998 for the Benson and Hedges Concert.
While in the US, he pursued further education and became an American citizen. It was in the US that he met his wife. Ayuba said, “We came to America for about three months and then returned to Nigeria. I returned to Nigeria in 1998 when Abacha died.“The three years I stayed in America were by the grace of God.
While in America, I realised that I could only perform shows on weekends.“So, I enrolled in school and met my wife. I completed my documentation and became an American citizen.”
Ayuba began his music career as a teenager, releasing his first album ‘Ibere (Beginning)’ in 1986. He is well-known for albums like ‘Bubble’, ‘Turn Me On’, ‘Ijo Fuji’, and ‘Koloba Koloba’. In 2015, he stated that converting to Christianity was the happiest day of his life.
