Nigerian model and Mr Nigeria 2024, Ugo Nwokolo, has revealed that he paid N5 million to appear on ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast, hosted by On Air Personality (OAP) Nedu Wazobia, only to be manipulated into making controversial statements to drive traffic for show online.

Recall that Nwokolo had in January faced a backlash over his controversial statement on The Honest Bunch that he was attracted to poor girls.

But, speaking in an interview on Lucky Udu’s podcast, Nwokolo revealed that he initially sought the podcast as a platform to discuss ‘eradicating classism and fostering an egalitarian society’ ahead of representing Nigeria in an international pageant in Poland. However, he alleged that Nedu dictated the narrative for virality, pressuring him to adopt a more sensational approach.

He also said that Nedu made a reference to a social media personality Saidaboj, whom he claimed he popularised through the show, adding that he was also asked to mention the name of a social media critic, VeryDarkMan, in the course of the show.

“Nedu told me, ‘This thing wey you dey talk na big grammar. Nigerians are dumb, they don’t like people that sound intelligent. You are not Peter Obi. For your message to fly, you have to sound dumb,’” Nwokolo said, adding that he reluctantly agreed due to his inexperience in media.

Days before the recording of the show, he alleged that Nedu introduced a ‘last-minute co-guest’ despite their agreement for a solo appearance. After some negotiations, he was promised a N2 million refund, which, he claimed, never materialised.

On the day of the podcast, Nwokolo said he asked to review the discussion flow but was instead pressured to make a sensational statement. “Nedu insisted, saying, ‘This is my program, and I call the shots.’ He even told me I had to mention VeryDarkMan to make the show trend,” he said.

According to Nwokolo, Nedu specifically instructed him to say, “Poor girls turn me on. The poorer the girl, the more attracted I am to her.” Nwokolo said he initially resisted but eventually agreed due to financial constraints, having spent money travelling from Abuja to Lagos for the show.

Following the interview, Nwokolo said he faced severe public backlash, with some branding him manipulative, controlling, and even a ritualist. “I take full responsibility for my actions, but I was forced and manipulated into making that statement,” he admitted.

He described Nedu as a new discovery of manipulation saying, “In my lifetime, I’ve met Manipulators, Narcissists, Gaslighters and I’ve met scammers, but Nedu is a discovery.”

Describing the experience as a hard lesson, Nwokolo expressed regret over trusting Nedu’s advice, stating, “Before we started, he told me, ‘Even Saidaboj, I told her what to say, and now she’s popular.’ I believed him, and that’s how I found myself in this mess.”