No Rift: Bob-Manuel Clears Air on Pete Edochie Rumors

Veteran Nollywood actor Bob-Manuel Udokwu has dismissed reports suggesting he accused fellow legend Pete Edochie of falsely parading himself as Nollywood’s oldest actor.

In an interview with NollyNow, Udokwu explained that remarks he made during a podcast were misrepresented, stressing that he never made any derogatory statements about Edochie.

According to him, in the context of “modern Nollywood,” he began acting before Pete Edochie, but his comments were wrongly twisted to sound offensive.

“The line that I said Pete Edochie is parading himself and deceiving others never came from me. That was a complete misrepresentation. 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 clarified.

He emphasised that Edochie’s iconic role in Things Fall Apart predates the Nollywood era and should be regarded separately from the industry’s later evolution.

Currently serving as Special Adviser on Entertainment, Leisure and Tourism to Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Udokwu reaffirmed his deep admiration for Pete Edochie, describing him as an elder deserving of utmost respect.

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“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 stated.

Udokwu also reflected on his early roles in Checkmate and When the Sun Sets, noting that while those productions were significant, he does not consider them as the official beginnings of Nollywood.

His remarks come amid viral reports that had attempted to pit the two revered actors against each other.