Language Saga: Peter Psquare apologises, calls out twin brother, Rudeboy
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Nigerian singer Peter Okoye, known as Mr P, apologized for comments questioning the value of Nigerian languages after facing social media criticism.
- He clarified his remarks were misunderstood and not an attack on Igbo or other Nigerian languages, but acknowledged his words could have been better expressed.
- Okoye also accused his twin brother, Paul Okoye (Rudeboy), of exploiting the situation to damage his reputation amid their ongoing legal dispute.
Nigerian singer Peter Okoye, also known as Mr P, has issued an apology after sparking controversy with his remarks about the value of Nigerian languages. The singer, one half of the defunct Psquare duo, faced backlash on social media after questioning the utility of indigenous languages in response to a user asking if his children could speak Igbo.
If my response to โWho Naija language help?โ upset some people, I apologise and take full responsibility for my words. That doesnโt mean I hate Nigerian languages or our culture.
Okoye, 44, stated that his comments were misunderstood and not intended as an attack on any language or culture. He took responsibility for how his words were received, explaining that an innocent tweet about his children speaking French led him to consider buying a house in Paris. He emphasized that he does not hate Nigerian languages or culture, clarifying that his reference to "Naija language" was general and not specifically targeting Igbo.
At no point did I say I hate the Igbo language or Igbo culture. I said โNaija language,โ referring to the different languages in Nigeria, but some people twisted it to make it seem like I was specifically referring to Igbo. I didnโt.
However, the singer also accused his twin brother, Paul Okoye (Rudeboy), of using the incident to further damage his reputation. This accusation comes amid a prolonged dispute between the brothers and their former manager, Jude Okoye, over alleged misappropriation of funds, a matter currently before the courts. Mr P expressed frustration with what he described as his brother's consistent efforts to undermine him, stating that deliberately twisting his words and using petty tactics was revealing.
But again, bro, youโre 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.
Originally published by Premium Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.