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Nigerian singer Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P, has apologised for his controversial comments about Nigerian languages, saying his remarks were misunderstood and were never intended as an attack on the Igbo language or Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
The former P-Square member issued the apology in a post on his official X account after facing widespread criticism over a response to a social media user that many interpreted as dismissive of indigenous languages.
“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,” he wrote.
Mr P explained that the controversy originated from what he described as an innocent post about his children speaking French while the family was in Paris.
According to him, he joked that their fluency in French made him consider buying a house in the French capital, but the conversation quickly shifted in an unexpected direction.
“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 stated.
The singer stressed that he never mentioned the Igbo language specifically and insisted that his comments referred broadly to Nigeria’s many indigenous languages.
“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 accused an unnamed individual of deliberately using the controversy to damage his reputation, claiming similar efforts had been made against him in the past.
“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 acknowledging that his statement deserved criticism, the singer condemned what he described as the deliberate misrepresentation of 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 alleged that the same individual had repeatedly mocked him publicly, including making derogatory remarks about his age and continued performances as a dancer.
Concluding his statement, Mr P suggested that he would no longer ignore personal attacks directed at him.
“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 began after Mr P shared a post from Paris about his children speaking French fluently. When an X user asked whether they could also speak Igbo, he replied, “And who Naija language help? Make I hear word abeg.”
The response sparked widespread debate on social media, with many users arguing that indigenous languages play a vital role in preserving Nigeria’s cultural identity, while others defended the singer’s right to determine how his children are raised.
