Mother Didn’t Want Jude to Manage P-Square, Says Henry Okoye
Henry Okoye, the eldest brother of the Okoye family and elder sibling of defunct music duo P-Square’s Peter and Paul, has broken his silence on the family’s long-running feud, alleging that their late mother, Josephine Okoye, initially opposed allowing their brother Jude Okoye to manage the twins’ music career.
Speaking in an interview with social commentator Jos Connection at the Okoye family residence in Plateau State on Friday, Henry said he was P-Square’s original sponsor during the years before the duo found commercial success, insisting that Jude was not involved in the group’s affairs at that stage. He recalled travelling from state to state to support Peter and Paul’s early music career, at times using his own car to distribute promotional flyers, and described how he personally facilitated one of the duo’s first major stadium performances after cigarette brand Benson & Hedges came to Jos scouting for artistes.
According to Henry, it was only after Peter and Paul had begun gaining recognition and generating income that Jude sought to take over as their manager, a move he claimed their mother initially resisted. Henry alleged that their mother was familiar with Jude’s character and held reservations about the kind of person he was, though he said another sibling eventually persuaded her to relent. Josephine Okoye died on July 11, 2012, in India following heart surgery.
Henry further alleged that he had been promised a 20 per cent share of the group’s earnings in recognition of his early contributions, a commitment he claimed Jude later intervened to dismiss. He said he confronted Jude over the matter, arguing that his younger brother had not been present during the group’s formative years yet had gone on to distance the twins from other family members, including their immediate elder brother, Tony, who had served as one of P-Square’s dancers.
Describing what he characterised as a broader pattern of neglect, Henry alleged that Jude had severed contact with him for close to two years and had failed to check on him during a recent two-month hospital admission, in contrast to Peter and Paul, who he said continued to call him during that period. He also referenced a struggling younger sister in Lagos whom he claimed the family had largely lost touch with. Henry additionally raised an unverified spiritual allegation suggesting Jude may have used “juju” to influence Paul’s behaviour, a claim that has not been substantiated.
Henry expressed particular surprise at what he described as a change in Paul’s demeanour over the years, recalling him as previously the kindest member of the family. He said he would welcome a reconciliation between the twins and the wider family but voiced doubt that such a reunion would ultimately take place, while urging Jude to take steps toward repairing the fractured relationships within the household.
Henry’s comments follow earlier remarks from Tony Okoye, another sibling, who had defended Jude amid the unfolding public dispute, suggesting the family remains divided in its assessment of Jude’s role in the group’s history and the broader breakdown in relations.
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