The P-Square family feud has taken another turn after Henry Okoye accused his younger brother, Jude, of withholding his share of royalties from the group’s music.
Henry, the immediate elder brother of Jude and P-Square members Peter and Paul Okoye, made the allegations during his first public interview about the controversy surrounding the family.
He claimed that he financed P-Square during its early years and said Peter and Paul promised him 20 per cent of the royalties from their songs in return for his support.
Before they started, Paul and Peter promised me 20 per cent of each of their songs’ royalties. I’m the sponsor of P-Square from the time they started until they started making money. When they started, they promised me 20 per cent on each of their music.
Henry said he never received the money despite asking about the agreement after two or three years.
He recalled that Jude questioned the arrangement and challenged him over what he meant by the 20 per cent.
No, nobody has given me. After two or three years, I asked them why I had not been seeing the agreed 20 per cent that they said they would give me as the sponsor who was putting money into their career growth and development. Before I knew it, Jude got up and asked what I meant by 20 per cent and for what purpose. He said they had been travelling to different countries by air and asked what would happen if they had a plane crash. He said I would just be there enjoying myself.
The disagreement, according to Henry, reflected a wider family problem that emerged after Jude became involved in P-Square’s affairs.
He accused Jude of joining the group after Peter and Paul had already started their journey and later pushing other family members away.
I told him, ‘Jude, you were not there when we started P-Square, but you came later and tried to chase everybody away.’ And he did it.
Henry also brought up their brother Tony Okoye, who performed with P-Square as a dancer, saying his involvement with the group eventually faded.
Tony Okoye, the immediate elder brother of P-Square, was one of their dancers. Tony is in Lagos, but nobody is hearing about him. This is the first time I’m coming out on social media.
He further alleged that Jude prevented their younger sister, Mary, from benefiting from her brothers’ success.
Our last-born, Mary, is also in Lagos, but Jude did not let them get help from P-Square.
Henry’s comments add another layer to the bitter dispute that has already seen Peter make a series of allegations against Jude and Paul.
Peter has accused his brothers of financial wrongdoing, betrayal and maltreatment, while Jude has denied his allegations and taken legal action against Peter over his performances of P-Square songs.
Jude had not publicly responded to Henry’s latest allegations at the time of publication.