Singer Peter Okoye, also known as Mr P, has issued an apology following widespread backlash over his recent social media comments that questioned the practical value of Nigerian languages.
In a statement shared via his verified X handle on Wednesday, July 29, the former P-Square member clarified that his remarks were widely misunderstood and were never intended to denigrate the Igbo language or culture. According to Peter, the controversy arose from an innocent post celebrating his children’s fluency in French during a family trip to Paris. He maintained that his responses were misconstrued, emphasizing that he did not single out his native language for criticism.
However, the singer escalated the situation by accusing his twin brother and former bandmate, Paul Okoye (Rudeboy), of exploiting the public outcry to tarnish his reputation. Although he did not explicitly name his brother, Peter alleged that this forms part of a recurring pattern of character assassination, declaring that he would no longer tolerate such actions.
The friction follows an earlier post by Paul Okoye on X, in which he championed Nigerian culture and indigenous languages. Social media users quickly interpreted Paul’s post as a subtle, direct jab at his twin brother’s initial remarks.
‘’If my response to “Who Naija language help?” upset some people, I apologize and take full responsibility for my words. That doesn’t mean I hate Nigerian languages or our culture.
It all started from an innocent tweet where I said my kids speak French, and it made me think maybe I should buy a house in Paris. Somehow, that turned into something completely different.
At no point did I say I hate the Igbo language or Igbo culture. I said “Naija language,” referring to the different languages in Nigeria, but some individuals twisted it and made it seem like I specifically mentioned Igbo. I didn’t.
That said, I still take responsibility for how my words were received.
But again, bro, you’re at it again, using this moment as another opportunity to pull me down. Just like I wrote in my open letter two years ago, doing everything possible to make people hate me will never work.
Yes, people are dragging me over my statement, and that’s okay. We all have moments where our words can be misunderstood or where we could have expressed ourselves better. I accept that. But deliberately twisting my words and using petty tactics to damage my reputation says a lot.
I don’t know why you look for every opportunity to make derisive comments or jump on the bandwagon whenever I’m being attacked. The other time, you threw shades at me and even age-shamed me for still dancing at my age. Now it’s this again.
At this point, I think it’s only fair I start giving the same energy I receive. No more Mr. Nice Guy.
It’s aura for aura, Egusi for Egusi, Oha for Oha.
