‘I lost a brother’ — Pete Edochie recalls friendship with late J.J Rawlings

Veteran Nollywood actor Chief Pete Edochie has recounted his friendship with former Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings, describing the late statesman as a “brother” following their striking physical resemblance and shared birth year.

The former president died on November 12, 2020.
Mr Edochie, who arrived in Ghana on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, for the Accra Legacy Week, said he was saddened by the death of the former president, whom he last met during a previous visit to Ghana.

The actor said the two had spent time together and discussed several issues, with Mr Rawlings promising to visit Nigeria.

“I tell you the truth, I'm sad. You know, the last time I was in Ghana, I visited him. We had a very good time together. We discussed extensively, and he promised me he was going to come to Nigeria,” he said.

Mr Edochie said photographs of the two together generated comments in Nigeria because of their resemblance, with some people suggesting that Mr Rawlings was his brother.

“When I got to Nigeria, a lot of people had seen the photograph of the two of us and they were telling me, look, this man is your brother actually,” he said.

He also noted that he and Mr Rawlings were born in the same year, 1947, just three months apart.

“I was born in March of 1947. He was born in June. We were born three months apart,” Mr Edochie said.

The actor recalled learning of Mr Rawlings' death in 2020 and initially struggling to understand the reports he received from Ghana.

“When I heard that the mother had died, I phoned Ghana and the person I got was telling me that Rawlings had died. I said, you're mad,” he recounted.

“When people came to interview me for my comments on him, I said, well, I lost a brother, but okay, that's the way God wants it.”

Mr Edochie said returning to Ghana knowing he would not see his friend again had been difficult.

“So, you know, coming to Ghana and knowing I will not see my friend Rawlings is… I don't know. Well, I tried to cope with it,” he said.

He added that he hoped to visit Mr Rawlings' grave during his stay in Ghana to pay his respects.

“If I have time, depending on my producer, I would like to go to his grave. I want to pay some respect to him when I go to his grave,” he said.

Mr Edochie is in Ghana as part of the Legacy Project at the Accra Legacy Week, which seeks to celebrate his contributions to African cinema, storytelling, and culture while preserving his experiences for future generations.

He is in the country with many other legendary actors and actresses from Nigeria, including Destiny Etiko, Mike Ezuruonye, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Francis Odega, Patience Ozorkwor, and others. 

— CitiNewsRoom