Nollywood actor Bob-Manuel Udokwu has debunked reports suggesting he accused his colleague, Pete Edochie, of parading himself as the oldest actor in Nollywood.
Speaking in a recent interview with NollyNow, Udokwu clarified that his comments during a podcast were misrepresented, stressing that he never made any derogatory remarks about the legendary actor.
According to him, in the context of modern Nollywood, he began acting before Pete Edochie, but he never implied that Edochie was deceiving anyone.
“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.
“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,” Udokwu said.
He noted that Edochie’s earlier works, such as his iconic role in ‘Things Fall Apart’, predated the Nollywood era and should be seen as separate from the industry’s later emergence.
Udokwu, who currently serves as Special Adviser on Entertainment, Leisure and Tourism to Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, further emphasised his deep respect for Pete Edochie.
The actor described Pete Edochie as an elder worthy of honour, adding that African culture places high value on respecting senior figures.
“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 added.
Udokwu also recalled his early Nollywood roles in productions like ‘Checkmate’ and ‘When the Sun Sets’, but noted that he does not consider those works as part of Nollywood’s official beginnings.
His clarification comes amid viral reports that sought to create tension between the two respected actors.