Peace at Last for Peter and Paul Okoye

SHOWBIZFLAIR

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

A wave of excitement rend through the hearts of followers and fans of Peter and Paul Okoye as the twin brothers and defunct Psquare group last Wednesday resolved their differences five years after they broke up and went their separate ways. Hints on settling their rift and put behind their past notched on their 40th birthday on November 17, 2021 after a heartwarming video of them in the company of friends and family trended on the said date, showing the pair hugged and shook hands while they were been cheered.

Jude Okoye, their elder brother, and former manager, was also seen greeting the pair. Many who have been looking forward to their reunion for years flooded social media with sweet reactions. They later performed together to a gathering of their celebrity friends and fans that turned up a day after their birthday and reunion to fete and celebrate with them. Several signs of their reunion, and possibly for the last time, started making the rounds this week when they both followed each other back on Instagram.

Soon after, Paul’s “estranged” wife, Anita, posted a video of Peter taking his brother’s kids on shopping in the US. Paul would then take to social media to celebrate with Peter and his wife, Lola, on the occasion of their eight wedding anniversary on Thursday. Paul who had previously unfollowed Lola on social media also started to follow her again. Their reconciliation elicited reactions from their wives who expressed feelings in their respective posts to wish them happy birthday.

In her post, Anita Paul Okoye, the mum of three shared some of the lessons learnt after the famous brothers settled their rift. She wrote; ‘’Dem be 1 no be 2!! Happy Birthday Ejima! This is best birthday present either of you could receive! Thank you for letting me have such a great relationship with both of you independent of your rift…I am delighted I didn’t let your coconut heads let me choose sides…There’s a lesson here – Do not EVER involve yourself in a tiff that doesn’t concern you AND Don’t let social media and the opinion of those who do not matter define your situation! Let God guide you! Love Wins!! Happy Birthday @peterpsquare & @iamkingrudy ‘’

To Lola Peter Okoye in her post expressed happiness that the famous singing duo have put their differences aside and allowed love to guide them. She wrote; ‘’To my favorite twins, today is such an emotional day for me. I am so so happy that you have finally put your differences aside and allowed love guide you. Happy Birthday Peter and Paul, you be ONE no be Two! More blessings, more love! Family for life. We bring it back again!!!!!! Good health, long life and prosperity is your portion. Amen.’’|

Peter and Paul have always had their differences as brothers from time. But that ugly rift in 2016 thereabout almost tore their family apart and endangered their relevance having displaced their hold on the African music scene a few years ago. Social media didn’t help matters for them. Since after their controversial spilt, the Okoye brothers have been in the public eye. The twins parted ways after a disagreement on the role of their elder brother and then manger, Jude.

Also drawn into their disagreement was Peter’s wife, Lola, whom in Jude’s and Paul’s eyes was seen as ‘outcast’. A very messy fight followed on social media for months between both parties. From Instagram to twitter they dragged each other. Even the viral video of the brothers almost exchanging blows at their lawyer’s office to insulting each other. It was nasty. “In the now-famous video where the brothers almost went physical, it was a clear fight between Paul and Jude versus Peter.

Peter had on several interviews called out his elder brother over his involvement in their fight”, a music journalist, critic had opined. They made the headlines for all the wrong reasons the following year in 2017 and finally parted ways both as band mates and business partners, then became the butt of jokes to comedians following their solo career adventures and rebranding. They unfollowed each other on social media. Paul took on the moniker ‘Rudeboy’, while Peter went with ‘Mr. P’.

They swore never to come back, leaving their Psquare fans heartbroken. Their breakup unconsciously proved a point that they both can actually sing and dance! Unlike the widely held notion that one can only sing and the other can only dance. At some point in March, 2021 ‘Mr. P’ had blamed the constant comparison from fans — over who is better between the duo — as part of the reasons they broke up. “For those trying to troll us, if it is painful for you, it’s not painful for us. You guys don’t matter anymore. Let me say it openly if you are a P-Square angry fan, you guys don’t matter anymore. It’s not about you guys anymore, it’s about us. Go and deal with your sour,” he had said.

“Don’t let me hit on you guys because you guys don’t even deserve it. Because you guys are among the people that contributed to the break-up. Two brothers doing their own thing, you try to say one is better than one. Una don get wetin una want.” In retrospect, this reporter had even shared in the opinion that they reunited in memory of music legend Sound Sultan who first gave them the opportunity to perform in Lagos some twenty to twenty-one years ago, at Aquataria Waterfront in Festac during a Dove Record annual gig. Their true music lovers across the world yearned for a possible return of the star brothers. They were gone but not far. It now remains to prove they are back as brothers or as Psquare or both.