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 to disparage the country’s indigenous languages or culture.

The former P-Square star came under criticism after responding to a social media user who asked whether his children, who speak French fluently, could also speak Igbo. In his reply, Mr P wrote, “Who Naija language help?”, a comment that sparked widespread backlash on social media.

In a statement shared on his X account on Wednesday, the singer admitted that his remarks offended many people and accepted responsibility for how they were perceived.

“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 said.

Mr P explained that the controversy arose from what he described as an innocent post about his children’s ability to speak French, which prompted him to consider buying a home in Paris.

He stressed that he never singled out the Igbo language or culture, maintaining that his comments referred broadly to Nigeria’s diverse 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,” he stated.

While acknowledging the public reaction to his comments, the singer accused his twin brother and former music partner, Paul Okoye, popularly known as Rudeboy, of using the controversy to damage his reputation.

According to him, Rudeboy deliberately misrepresented his remarks and had repeatedly taken advantage of opportunities to criticise him publicly.

“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.

“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.”

Mr P also alleged that Rudeboy had previously mocked him for dancing at his age, adding that he was no longer willing to remain silent whenever he came under attack.

“I don’t know why you look for every opportunity to make derisive comments or jump on the bandwagon whenever I’m being attacked… 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 added.