Oseloka Obi, son of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, has denied rumours linking him to homosexuality following the circulation of photos on social media.
The pictures, which emerged on Wednesday, showed Oseloka and Okwesa sitting closely at a restaurant in the United Kingdom, sparking a wave of online speculation and gossip.
The speculation led to widespread debate, with many critics seizing on the photos to attack his father ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Oseloka described the claims as “gossip” and “fiction spun from pictures,” insisting that he is not gay.
The statement reads: “I have refrained from engaging with the vitriol, scorn, and suspicion directed at me online because I was not raised to trade in lies or indulge in false narratives,” he wrote. “This pattern is familiar—individuals opposed to my father seize ordinary photos of me and repackage them with false stories.”
The UK-based actor and filmmaker stressed that his profession often requires him to portray characters different from himself, a reality which, he said, some have deliberately twisted to misrepresent him and embarrass his father.
“Unlike many children of Nigerian politicians, I have never relied on nepotism,” he added. “My chosen path is in theatre and filmmaking—an industry that embraces diversity. But to assume my roles reflect my personal life is absurd.”
Oseloka further urged Nigerians to focus on pressing national challenges rather than manufactured scandals.
“Our country faces insecurity, a weak economy, crumbling infrastructure, and failing healthcare. Yet some would rather spread gossip about who Peter Obi’s son appears with in a photo,” he said.
While acknowledging that neither he nor his father is perfect, he maintained that Peter Obi is “a man of integrity” and “the right leader for Nigeria.”
See full statement below:
