For the longest time, Nigerian music star 2baba hasn’t been one to willingly court controversy.

On Wednesday, the 49-year-old singer, known for his hit ‘African Queen,’ further shocked fans when he openly professed his love for Edo lawmaker Natasha Osawaru.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, he wrote, “This is my world; help me beg her to marry me.” With that single post, he confirmed the swirling rumours that had persisted since January. Their relationship had been speculated after his visit to the Edo State House of Assembly.

However, Punch reports that through her spokesperson, she denied having any role in the collapse of his marriage and described the claims as “baseless.” The speculation began after his now ex-wife, Annie Macaulay-Idibia, celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary—only for 2Baba to announce their split later.

2Baba has been unusually open about his love life. Since announcing his divorce on 27 January, he has repeatedly surprised fans. But in a strange pattern, he deletes his posts after making big announcements, keeping the public guessing.

Who is Natasha Osawaru?

Born on 14 November 1994, Ms Osawaru hails from Edo State and comes from a family rooted in business and politics.

She is the Deputy Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, representing the Egor Constituency. She advocates for youth empowerment, education, and women’s rights.

Ms Osawaru is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). She graduated from Igbinedion University with a law degree and holds a Master’s in Film Production from Full Sail University in the United States. The deputy majority leader has sponsored bills to improve the lives of her constituents.

She began her political career by running for the House of Assembly, seeking support from PDP members in Egor to address years of neglect. She focused on infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

The lawmaker notably supported and mobilised the campaign for Asue Ighodalo, a 2024 Edo State governorship election candidate.

Ms Osawaru once grilled the State Director of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) at the House Plenary over the difficulties faced by Edo State indigenes while trying to acquire NIN.

In September, she commissioned the renovation of Uselu Junior Secondary School in Egbor. For the 2025 Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams, she announced 150 free JAMB registration forms for Egor people and added that students with the top 5 results will get full scholarships.

Controversy

However, the 30-year-old lawmaker’s political career has not been without controversy.

In June 2024, The Nation reported that the Speaker of the House ordered her to leave a plenary session for allegedly violating the dress code by wearing dark glasses.

Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, ordered Ms Osawaru to leave the plenary for improper dressing and wearing dark glasses.

Nicholas Asonsere, the member representing Ikpoba Okha, raised the issue, pointing out that her attire violated the House rules. Mr Agbebaku stated the decision was based on the House’s rules, emphasising that improper dressing and dark glasses are prohibited in the chamber. This move sparked debate about decorum and gender bias in politics.