Singer Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P of the former P-Square duo, has apologised for his controversial comment questioning the relevance of Nigerian languages, saying he never intended to insult the Igbo language or culture.
The singer made the clarification in a post shared on his X account on Wednesday after facing days of backlash over a response he gave to a social media user.
He wrote, “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.”
According to Mr P, the controversy began after he shared what he described as a harmless post about his children speaking French during a family trip to Paris.
“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,” he said.
The singer stressed that his comment was not directed at the Igbo language.
“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.”
Mr P also alleged that an unnamed individual was taking advantage of the situation to damage his reputation, claiming similar incidents had happened before.
“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,” he wrote.
While admitting that his statement attracted justified criticism, he said he disagreed with what he described as deliberate attempts to misrepresent his comments.
“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.”
He further claimed that the same individual had repeatedly made disparaging remarks about him, including mocking him for dancing despite his age.
“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.”
The singer said he would no longer ignore such attacks.
“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.”
The controversy started after Mr P shared a post from Paris, saying hearing his children speak fluent French made him consider buying a home in the French capital.
When an X user asked if his children could also speak Igbo, he replied, “And who naija language help? Make I hear word abeg.”
The response triggered widespread reactions on social media. While many users criticised the remark, arguing that indigenous languages are vital to preserving Nigeria’s cultural identity, others defended his right to decide how his children are raised.
