By Peace Orjiani

 

The long-running family dispute surrounding Nigerian music duo P-Square has taken another emotional turn after Henry Okoye, elder brother to singers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye, opened up about the family’s internal crisis.

Henry, who spoke with social commentator Jos Connection during an interview at the Okoye family residence in Plateau State on Friday, reportedly shared his perspective on the strained relationships among the siblings and recalled his involvement in the early development of Peter and Paul’s music career.

His comments have added another dimension to a dispute that has, over the years, moved beyond disagreements between the P-Square twins to involve their elder brother and former manager, Jude Okoye.

According to Henry, he feels neglected by some members of the family and particularly expressed disappointment over his relationship with Jude. He also claimed that he provided financial support during the early stages of Peter and Paul’s career and was promised a percentage of proceeds from their shows.

The claims have not been independently established, and neither Peter, Paul nor Jude has been verified as having responded specifically to Henry’s latest allegations.

Henry: “Peter used to call me, Paul used to call me”

Speaking during the interview, Henry said his relationship with Peter and Paul had changed over time.

He recalled that both twins previously maintained contact with him, saying Peter and Paul used to call to check on him.

However, he alleged that Jude had never similarly reached out to ask how he was doing.

Henry also expressed concern about another member of the family whom he said was living in Lagos and struggling without sufficient support.

The Full interview here with Punch News Paper 

His comments appeared to focus not only on the famous P-Square dispute but also on what he described as a wider breakdown in communication and care among members of the Okoye family.

The family has experienced significant personal losses over the years. Their mother, Josephine Okoye, died in July 2012 after undergoing heart surgery in India. Contemporary reports identified Henry, Jude, Tony, Peter, Paul, Mary, Lilian and Ifeanyi among her surviving children. 

Their father, Moses Okoye, later died in November 2014 after reportedly suffering complications following knee surgery. He was also survived by Henry, Jude, Peter, Paul and their other siblings. 

Henry praises Paul but says he is surprised by his change

One of the striking parts of Henry’s interview was his assessment of his younger brother Paul.

Henry described Paul as one of the nicest people in the Okoye family and said he was surprised by what he perceived as a significant change in Paul’s attitude.

He said he could not fully explain the change and appeared emotionally affected by how relationships within the family had developed.

Henry also made a reference to the possibility of spiritual influence, saying he did not know whether something had affected Paul. That portion of his statement is an allegation or personal speculation and should not be interpreted as evidence of any supernatural activity.

The comments are significant because Paul has traditionally been viewed as being closer to Jude during some of the brothers’ public disagreements.

That relationship became particularly visible during the legal controversy involving Jude in 2025.

Peter and Paul’s P-Square journey

Peter and Paul Okoye, popularly known as Mr P and Rudeboy respectively, grew up in Jos, Plateau State, where their interest in music developed during their school years.

They eventually became one of Africa’s most successful music duos under the name P-Square.

Their career produced major hits including “Do Me,” “Personally,” “Chop My Money,” “Beautiful Onyinye,” “Alingo” and several other commercially successful songs.

The brothers’ rise was supported by members of their family, including their elder brother Jude, who became deeply involved in the management and business side of their career.

A recent biography of the duo records that Peter and Paul began performing while growing up in Jos and later developed P-Square into a major African music brand. 

However, the success eventually came with internal disagreements.

The first major P-Square breakup

P-Square’s first major public breakup occurred in 2017 following years of disagreements.

The dispute involved several issues, including management, finances, creative direction and personal differences between the twins.

Jude, who had been involved in managing the group, also became part of the controversy.

In April 2025, Peter said that constant comparisons between him and Paul by fans contributed to tension between the brothers. According to Peter, fans’ tendency to favour one twin over the other created ego-related problems that eventually contributed to the group’s collapse. 

The split ended an era for millions of African music fans.

Peter went on to perform as Mr P, while Paul continued his career as Rudeboy.

The brothers reunited — but the peace did not last

After years apart, Peter and Paul eventually reconciled, bringing P-Square back together in 2021.

The reunion was celebrated across Nigeria and Africa, with fans hopeful that the twins had finally put their differences behind them.

For a period, the brothers appeared to have restored their relationship and resumed performing together.

However, the peace was eventually short-lived.

By 2024, another major disagreement had emerged

Paul publicly acknowledged that P-Square had broken up again, while Peter subsequently accused Paul and Jude of financial wrongdoing and alleged that he had not received what he believed was his rightful share of the group’s earnings.

Jude rejected Peter’s accusations and said the claims had been presented in a misleading manner. 

Peter, meanwhile, insisted that his concerns were connected to financial transparency surrounding the P-Square business.

Northside Music controversy

A major part of the renewed dispute centred around Northside Music Limited and financial issues surrounding the brothers’ business interests.

Peter said he had investigated corporate records and discovered that Jude and his wife were listed as directors of Northside Music Limited.

In testimony reported in April 2025, Peter alleged that he did not have access to the group’s money and raised questions about the ownership and management structure of the company. Reports from the proceedings said the case involved allegations concerning more than ₦1.3 billion, $1 million and £34,000. 

Jude has denied wrongdoing

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, subsequently prosecuted Jude and Northside Music Limited in connection with allegations relating to financial transactions.

It is important to stress that allegations made in court proceedings are not automatically proof of guilt.

Indeed, in December 2025, Punch reported that the EFCC told the court it did not have evidence supporting one particular allegation by Peter concerning an alleged $800,000 withdrawal. 

Paul stood by Jude during the legal battle

The disagreement became even more complicated because Paul appeared to take a different position from Peter.

When Jude was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos in February 2025, Paul publicly expressed support for his elder brother.

Punch reported that Paul blamed Peter for Jude’s legal troubles and said he was present because he wanted to support Jude. 

Paul also posted a message of encouragement to Jude, suggesting that the situation would eventually pass. 

The contrasting positions of the twins demonstrated just how deeply divided the brothers had become.

Peter was pursuing answers concerning the finances and business arrangements, while Paul publicly stood beside Jude.

Peter declared that they were “no longer family”

The dispute eventually reached an extremely personal level.

In June 2025, Peter announced publicly that he had severed ties with Paul and Jude.

According to reports, Peter made the statement while discussing the legal proceedings involving Jude.

He argued that family should be built on loyalty and accused his siblings of crossing a line that he believed family members should never cross. 

The statement shocked many P-Square fans because it suggested that the problem was no longer simply a disagreement about music or business.

It had become a serious family dispute.

Henry introduces another side of the story

Henry’s latest comments are therefore significant because they come from another member of the Okoye family who has largely remained outside the public spotlight.

According to Henry, he was involved in helping Peter and Paul during the early stages of their career.

He claimed that he invested money into their career development and described himself as an initial sponsor of their music journey.

Henry further alleged that he had been promised 20 percent from each show in recognition of the financial support he provided.

However, he said he never received what he believed he had been promised.

He recalled a conversation with Jude in which Jude allegedly questioned what Henry meant by the 20 percent.

Henry reportedly responded that Jude was not present when the brothers initially started their music journey and accused Jude of subsequently attempting to remove people who had been involved from the beginning.

These claims are Henry’s account of events and have not been independently verified.

“I saw everything just end”

Henry also expressed sadness over what he described as the collapse of the relationships and arrangements he had helped build.

He said that despite everything he had done for Peter and Paul, he eventually watched the situation deteriorate.

His comments appeared to suggest that he felt particularly hurt because he had invested in the twins before P-Square became the global brand it eventually became.

He also admitted uncertainty about some aspects of the present dispute, saying that he was not directly involved in everything happening and therefore could not determine whether all the allegations being made were true.

That admission is important because the current P-Square dispute contains several competing accounts from different family members.

The forgotten members of the P-Square story

Henry also mentioned Tony, another Okoye family member who was associated with P-Square as a dancer.

He suggested that people outside the immediate family may not know much about Tony or his role in the group’s early development.

This highlights an often-overlooked part of the P-Square story.

While Peter and Paul became international stars, the Okoye family’s broader contribution to their journey has received considerably less attention.

Historical reports confirm that the twins’ parents and siblings were closely connected to their lives during their rise.

When their mother died in 2012, Peter specifically described her as someone who believed in their decision to pursue music and supported them spiritually. 

A family dispute bigger than music

The latest comments from Henry suggest that the P-Square controversy cannot simply be reduced to a disagreement between two musicians.

At its heart are questions about family, loyalty, money, management, ownership, recognition and the complicated relationship between relatives working together in a multimillion-naira entertainment business.

P-Square’s story is particularly sensitive because Peter and Paul were not merely business partners.

They were identical twins who built their public identity around brotherhood.

Their songs, performances and brand were based heavily on the image of two brothers who were inseparable.

That is why every public disagreement between them has attracted enormous attention.

The involvement of Jude has made the situation even more complicated because he was both their elder brother and, at different points, a key figure in their professional management.

Now, Henry’s emergence with claims about his own contribution to their early career adds another voice to a family story that has already generated years of controversy.

What happens next?

It remains unclear whether Henry’s comments will lead to another public response from Peter, Paul or Jude.

For now, the Okoye family appears to remain divided, with different members offering different accounts of what happened behind the scenes.

Henry’s account also raises questions about the contributions of people who helped P-Square during its early years but whose roles may have received little public recognition.

What is clear is that the P-Square story is far from over.

The twins may have achieved extraordinary success as musicians, but the personal and financial disagreements surrounding their family and business relationships continue to attract public attention years after their first breakup.

For fans who watched Peter and Paul rise from performing in Jos to becoming one of Africa’s biggest music acts, the latest development is another painful reminder that success does not always prevent family relationships from becoming complicated.

Henry’s account may provide another piece of the puzzle, but the full truth behind the Okoye family dispute remains contested among the parties involved.