Nollywood veteran-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo has reacted to claims that he asked the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for rent.

The actor, while speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV, dismissed the claims made by PDP member, Katch Ononuju.

He explained that he had built his own house before delving into active politics.

Okonkwo also stressed that he never requested for rent from Peter Obi or anyone in particular, adding that his loyalty is to Nigerians and not politicians or political parties.

“Before I entered active politics and came to Peter Obi, I had built all the houses that I needed.

This is because I wanted to be an independent person with my own opinion. I made it clear from day-one that my loyalty is to Nigeria, to Nigerian people and the Constitution, and my conscience and the commandment of God. I am not going to move away from this. So my loyalty is not to a political party or to a politician but to Nigeria. So I have never asked for rent from Peter Obi or anybody since I was born. By the grace of God, I lived in my father’s house, finished my university education, went and lived in my own house in Lagos. By 1994, I moved into my own duplex in Lagos and I lived there for 14 years,” he said.

Nigerian singer, Niniola Apata, has announced her return back to the music industry months after grieving the death of her husband, Michael Ndika.

The announcement, made via emotional posts on social media, revealed that her new single reflects a deeply personal phase in her life, capturing themes of love, loss and emotional healing.

Niniola expressed her heartbreak, stressing that Michael was more than just her husband but also her best friend, confidant, pillar and.

business partner. She noted that despite mourning his death, she knows he would have wanted her to keep making music, hence her return.

“Some feelings are too deep for words. So I put them in a song. There are no words for a moment like this, but I know he’d want me to keep singing, to keep showing up, and to keep sharing the gift we’ve always believed in,” she wrote.

Spotify has released its Global Impact List for the first half of 2026, highlighting the Nigerian songs that recorded the strongest international streaming performance during the period.

Spotify made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

The platform noted that the rankings provided fresh insight into the growing global influence of Nigerian music and the increasing role of cross-cultural collaborations in expanding its reach.

Spotify said the rankings reflect a new era in which Nigerian artistes blend Yoruba, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin and English with other global languages to connect with audiences worldwide.

It revealed that “Dai Dai”, the official FIFA World Cup 2026 song by Nigerian Afrobeats star, Burna Boy, and Colombian singer, Shakira, led the list.

The song combines Spanish and English in a cross-continental collaboration involving two major artistes from different musical backgrounds.

It added that Latin American collaborations also featured prominently on the list with Puerto Rican singer, Rauw Alejandro, teaming up with Nigerian artiste, Wizkid, and Jamaican producer, Rvssian, on “PONGO”.

Spotify said such collaborations demonstrated how Spanish, West African languages and sounds were creating new connections among artistes, cultures and audiences.

The trend is also reflected in Spotify’s “Afro Ritmo” playlist, which features collaborations between Nigerian, other African and Latin American artistes.

The Global Impact List further highlighted the multilingual nature of contemporary Nigerian music through the song titled “Goals”, a collaboration involving Nigerian singer, Rema, Brazilian pop star, Anitta, K-pop artiste , LISA and FIFA Sound.

The track blends Portuguese, Spanish, Korean and Nigerian Pidgin, thereby highlighting how music can transcend language and cultural barriers.

Spotify said the first half rankings showed that listeners were increasingly discovering music beyond language boundaries, with songs in Yoruba, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Korean connecting audiences through shared emotions, culture and creativity.

The platform said Nigerian artistes were increasingly collaborating across borders and languages, thereby expanding the country’s global music footprint and introducing new audiences to the diversity of its music scene.(NAN)