Nigerian singer Peter “Mr P” Okoye, one half of the defunct music duo Psquare, has apologised over his comments questioning the value of Nigerian languages, while accusing his twin brother, Paul, known as Rudeboy, of consistently trying to pull him down.
Mr P came under fire on social media after he posted on his X page on Monday that he was considering buying a house in Paris, the French capital, following his children speaking French fluently.
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An X user, Don Buddy, asked whether his children could speak Igbo. Mr P questioned what Nigerian languages had helped, a reply that drew criticism from many social media users.
Netizens slammed him for downgrading the native language he had sung in for years, and argued that indigenous languages are essential to preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
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Although some netizens defended him, saying he had the right to decide how his children are raised, the criticism grew on Wednesday.
No attack
Reacting to the criticism on Wednesday, the 44-year-old stated in a tweet that people misunderstood his remarks.
He said his tweet was never intended as an attack on the Igbo language or any other languages or cultures.
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The singer added that he took responsibility for how people had received his words.
Mr P noted, “If my response to ‘Who Naija language help?’ upset some people, I apologise 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 people twisted it to make it seem like I was specifically referring to Igbo. I didn’t.”
Rudeboy
However, the “Winning” singer accused Rudeboy of twisting his statement about language to damage his reputation and image.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the singer had been embroiled in a prolonged dispute with Rudeboy and their elder brother and former manager, Jude Okoye, over alleged misappropriation of funds from their music group.
The issue, which is currently in court, led Mr P to change his date of birth from 18 November to 30 November.
Accusing his twin brother, he said, “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.”
“No more Mr Nice Guy”
Furthermore, Mr P questioned why Rudeboy looks for every opportunity to make derisive comments or jump on the bandwagon whenever he is 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”, he said.
As of press time, Rudeboy had not responded to the allegations Mr P levelled against him.
A check of his social media pages showed that the post he made today was about promoting his song.
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