Media personality Daddy Freeze has weighed in on the controversy surrounding a luxury Hermès handbag reportedly carried by Margaret Obi, wife of former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential hopeful Peter Obi.
The handbag, identified in reports as a Hermès Kelly, has attracted significant attention on social media, with its value reportedly estimated at around ₦250 million. The reported price, however, has not been established as the amount actually paid for the particular bag.
Reacting to the controversy, Daddy Freeze said he had no problem with Margaret Obi owning or carrying an expensive luxury item, arguing that Peter Obi was already wealthy before entering government.
“I have no problem with Peter Obi’s wife carrying a luxury bag; her husband is a billionaire. He was before he came into government.”
Freeze said his concern was instead about the contrast between Obi's public image of personal frugality and the expensive lifestyle items associated with people around him.
He referred to statements attributed to Obi about owning only one pair of shoes and one wristwatch, arguing that such claims could create expectations about the level of prudence surrounding him.
“The only problem I have with him is he says he only has one shoe and one watch, but when you put yourself in a certain light, and things around you don’t seem to add to that light, there is a problem.”
According to Freeze, his criticism was not based on the assumption that Margaret Obi's handbag was purchased with public funds. Rather, he questioned whether the luxury item was consistent with the image of extreme prudence that has become associated with Peter Obi's political brand.
He nevertheless acknowledged Obi's personal qualities, describing the former governor as honest and humble while questioning whether everyone around him demonstrates the same level of financial restraint.
“He is honest and humble, but are people around him as prudent as he is?”
Freeze further argued that a handbag reportedly worth about ₦250 million does not easily fit an image marketed around extreme financial prudence.
“If you market yourself as extremely prudent, I promise you a 250 million Naira Hermès bag is not a sign of being prudent.”
He subsequently described the broader controversy as a matter of “double standards, hypocrisy and selective morality,” arguing that Nigerians should apply the same standards to political figures regardless of their affiliations.
The controversy has generated competing reactions online. Critics have questioned whether the reported luxury purchase sits comfortably alongside Obi's political messaging, while his supporters have argued that his wife's personal possessions do not constitute evidence of misuse of public funds.
The debate has also renewed attention on Obi's longstanding reputation for frugality and his advocacy for reducing the cost of governance, particularly as the 2027 presidential contest approaches.
At the centre of the controversy, however, remains a distinction between personal wealth and public funds. There is currently no evidence establishing that public money was used to purchase the handbag.
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