Veteran Nollywood star Bob-Manuel Udokwu has dismissed reports suggesting he accused fellow actor Pete Edochie of presenting himself as the oldest figure in the industry.

Udokwu clarified that his words were taken out of context from a recent podcast appearance.

In a chat with NollyNow, the actor explained that while he began his Nollywood journey before Pete Edochie’s entry into the modern industry, he never claimed Edochie was “parading himself or misleading anyone” about his seniority.

He further noted that his comments were specifically about contemporary Nollywood, which differs from earlier screen productions such as Things Fall Apart, the iconic film in which Edochie played a lead role.

Currently serving as the Special Adviser on Entertainment, Leisure, and Tourism to Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Udokwu stressed the cultural value of honoring elders. He also praised Pete Edochie, acknowledging both his age and his immense contributions to the Nigerian film industry.

He said, “I granted a podcast interview along the lines that I was in Nollywood before Pete Edichie, in an answer to a question posed to me by the host of the show. But the statement: ‘as he is parading himself and deceiving others’ is certainly not from me. I was misrepresented.

“That’s a very wrong thing for them to do. I never said that. All I said was that if you are referring to Nollywood, I started acting before Pete Edochie. He may have started acting before me like in “Things Fall Apart’, but the TV series was not part of Nollywood. Kanayo O. Kanayo had said the same thing many years ago. They now wrote that I said he was parading himself and deceiving others.

“I acted in “Checkmate’ and “When the Sun Sets”, but I don’t count it as part of Nollywood. Pete Edochie is older than me by far. In our African culture, we don’t disrespect our elders. I will never disrespect Pete Edochie.”