February opened with a big bang on Tuesday, 1st as the children and grandchildren of Mrs Dorcas Olubanke Thomas threw a classy birthday party for their great-grandma as she hit the 9th floor in style. Becoming a nonagenarian is a big deal in a nation like Nigeria where life expectancy for women in the year 2022 is around 55 years. This was one of the reasons the children and grandchildren of Mama Olubanke Thomas took it upon themselves to celebrate this great woman of honour.
It is no doubt that old age is a blessing as it gives a reflection of what life is really all about. Mama Olubanke though old and weak is still very active at the ripe age of 90 and took time to share some good moments with her friends and family on the day she clocked 90.
City People’s Brands Editor, DAMILARE SALAMI 08155134152 and Senior Photojournalist, Abdulrasheed Sanni covered the stylish event and here are some of the talking points for your reading pleasure, enjoy.
LAGOS CITY CENTER COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED
The venue of the party was the popular Lagos City Center also known as the MAM event centre. It is situated in the heart of Lagos Island, Sura to be precise. For Mama Olubanke’s 90th birthday bash, the auditorium was completely transformed. The banners and wallpapers were sparkling, carrying Mama Olubanke Thomas’ name, pictures and some beautiful moments in her past life. Life for the older adult is indeed like a mirror.
IT WAS A BABY PINK AFFAIR
The pink colour has for a long time been associated with femininity and it was not a surprise to be picked as the colour of the day for the 90-year-old great-grandma. The entire auditorium was filled with different shades of pink but the baby pink shade was more prevalent.
DJ FASH OPENED THE FLOOR WITH COOL TUNES
Starting from the entrance of the auditorium, cool tunes from the wheel of steel handled by DJ Fash, a very popular disc jockey on the Island welcomed guests. He also had a swell time performing at the after-party. Let’s quickly inform you that DJ Fash is your party plug for all kinds of events and shows. He has proven to be able to deliver under any circumstances.
MC ATM ANCHORED THE SHOW
He is young, dynamic, full of life, handsome and above all, a great dancer. These were the qualities of the fast-rising compere cum comedian, MC ATM who anchored the event. Just like the traditional automated teller machine, MC ATM also dispenses but what he dispenses are jokes, comedies and rib-cracking gists that are capable of stabilizing blood pressure. Being a young man didn’t deter him from still getting the best out of the older adults who are the guests of the celebrant. Israel David sure knows how to carry his audience along irrespective of the age barriers.
JIDE STICKS AND HIS GOLDEN TUNES BAND PULLED UP SURPRISES
A good live band is known for its size but sometimes, sizes don’t matter. This was the case of the Mr Jide Sticks and his Golden Tunes Band as they gave a 5-star performance at the party. Even though Mama is old and relatively weak, she still found the strength to dance to the music of this band on the dance floor. The reason was simple, it was a good performance with some musical skills and excellent delivery.
MAMA OLUBANKE’S 2 GORGEOUS OUTFITS
Let’s quickly give you this hot gist, Mama Olubanke Thomas wore two different outfits on her big day and both were materials were quite expensive. The first was a white lace material with a pink gele while the second was a gold HOH lace with a touch of magenta.
ONE EVENT, 3 CAKES
There were three beautiful cakes gifted to mama for her big day. All three cakes had her name and image inscribed on them. At the cutting of the cake, Mama found the energy to follow the instruction of the compere who also didn’t waste any time.
LAGOS LAWYER, BARR OLAYIDE OSHODI-GLOVER EULOGISES GRANDMA
For many who don’t know, Mama Dorcas Olubanke Thomas is the maternal grandmother of the popular Lagos lawyer, Barr. Olayide Oshodi-Glover. While speaking with City People at the event, Barr Oshodi-Glover revealed how he spent his growing up days with his grandparents thinking that they were his real parents.
Describing Mama Olubanke Thomas, Barr. Oshodi-Glover revealed that she was a very homely mother and a petty trader but a good one at that. She had stayed in the United Kingdom where she had her last child with her husband. Mama had four children and one of them was late at a very tender age. The names of Mama’s children are Agbeke Olabisi Oshodi-Glover JP, Babatunde Adegboyega Thomas and Adeyemi Thomas. Some of her grandchildren are Olayide Oshodi-Glover, a Lawyer, Ajibola Oshodi-Glover and Niniola Oshodi-Glover. From Mama’s second child are Engr Boye Thomas and Banke Thomas, a legal practitioner; while Mama’s last child, Adeyemi Thomas has Adefolaju Thomas and his sibling, Soladoye Thomas in the UK.
THE QUEEN AT 90 BRANDED T-SHIRT WAS EVERYWHERE
Mama’s children had their second outfit which was a uniform; it was a branded white t-shirt with an inscription, the queen at 90. All Mama’s children and grandchildren wore a t-shirt on jeans and pairs of sneakers. It was a nice Aso-Ebi.
NINIOLA OSHODI-GLOVER STORMED THE DANCE FLOOR IN STYLE
Yes, there was a talking point at the event that shouldn’t be missed for any reason and that was the moment one of Mama’s grandchildren, Niniola Oshodi-Glover stormed the dance floor with her friends. Her time on the dance floor caught the attention of many because she is such a good dancer and her combination with another friend of hers left jaws wide-open.
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