Veteran Nollywood actor Bob-Manuel Udokwu has dismissed claims that he accused legendary actor Pete Edochie of parading himself as the oldest actor in the Nigerian film industry.
In an interview with NollyNow, Udokwu explained that his remarks during a podcast were twisted, stressing that he never made any disparaging comments about Edochie.
“The line that I said Pete Edochie is parading himself and deceiving others never came from me. That was a complete misrepresentation, that is a very wrong for me to do,” Udokwu said.
Clarifying further, he explained that his point was centered on Nollywood’s timeline, not on Edochie personally. “What I stated was that if you’re talking about Nollywood as an industry, I started acting before him. But he had already done Things Fall Apart, which was not part of Nollywood. Even Kanayo O. Kanayo once made a similar point,” he added.
According to Udokwu, Edochie’s historic performance in Things Fall Apart came before the emergence of Nollywood and should be regarded as separate from the industry’s official beginning.
Udokwu, who also serves as Special Adviser on Entertainment, Leisure and Tourism to Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, stressed his admiration for the respected actor.
“Pete Edochie is far older than me, and in our culture, we never disrespect our elders. I admire and respect him greatly and will never disrespect Pete Edochie,” he said.
He also reflected on his own early appearances in productions like Checkmate and When the Sun Sets, noting that while those roles shaped his career, he does not classify them as Nollywood’s starting point.
The clarification comes after viral reports attempted to pit the two Nollywood icons against each other.
