Media personality Daddy Freeze has weighed in on the controversy surrounding a luxury Hermès handbag reportedly carried by Margaret Obi, wife of former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential hopeful Peter Obi.

The handbag, identified in reports as a Hermès Kelly 35 in Malachite, has attracted attention online after photographs of Margaret carrying it circulated on social media. Reports have estimated the bag’s value at between ₦237 million and ₦250 million, based on its reported price on the Hermès website.

The price has since sparked debate among Nigerians, with some questioning whether the luxury item is consistent with the image of simplicity and prudence often associated with Peter Obi.

Reacting to the controversy in a video shared online, Daddy Freeze said he had no issue with Margaret owning or carrying an expensive handbag.

“I have no problem with Peter Obi’s wife carrying a luxury bag; her husband is a billionaire. He was before he came into government,” he said.

According to Freeze, his concern was not about the family having access to expensive possessions but about whether the lifestyle around Obi reflects the image he has presented to the public.

“The only problem I have with him is he says he only has one shoe and one watch, but when you put yourself in a certain light, and things around you don’t seem to add to that light, there is a problem,” he said.

Freeze described Obi as “honest and humble” but questioned whether the people around him maintained the same level of prudence.

“He is honest and humble, but are people around him as prudent as he is?” he asked.

The discussion comes amid renewed scrutiny of Obi’s public image as a politician associated with financial restraint and reducing the cost of governance. During his 2023 presidential campaign, his message of prudent management of public resources became a major part of his appeal to supporters.

The handbag controversy was also fuelled by comments from Lere Olayinka, an aide to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who argued that the issue went beyond whether Margaret Obi could afford the bag.

Olayinka questioned whether a family associated with an image of prudence could justify such an expensive purchase, particularly while Obi has encouraged Nigerians to support his political ambitions financially.

However, Freeze’s position was more focused on what he described as consistency and public perception.

He also criticised what he saw as double standards among political supporters, arguing that similar displays of wealth by politicians or their families would likely attract a different reaction depending on who was involved.

The debate has continued online, with some Nigerians defending Margaret Obi’s right to spend her money as she chooses, while others argue that the reported price of the handbag raises questions about the image associated with her husband.

For Freeze, the central issue remains whether the lifestyle surrounding a public figure matches the values that figure projects to the public.