Mr P announces he is changing his birthday date amid ongoing rift with twin brother Paul

• Peter Okoye (Mr P) plans to officially change his birthday to distance himself from his twin, Paul.

• The move follows bitter public disputes over song ownership and EFCC investigations.

• Changing their shared November 18 date marks the deepest fracture in the P-Square legacy to date.

Peter Okoye, better known as Mr P, announced on Monday that he intends to change his birthday date, a statement that is both a personal declaration and commentary on the state of his relationship with his twin brother, Paul Okoye, also known as Rudeboy.

The two were born on November 18, 1981, a date they have shared for 44 years. For the better part of their careers, that birthday was also celebrated jointly, often publicly, as an extension of the P-Square identity that made them one of Nigeria's most beloved music acts. 

The fact that Peter is now looking to separate even that from their shared history signals that the current estrangement runs considerably deeper than either party has been willing to fully acknowledge.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of what has become an exhausting and increasingly bitter falling out between the brothers. 

P-Square first split in 2017 following disputes tied largely to the role of their older brother Jude Okoye, who had managed the duo since their early days. That split was resolved in November 2021 when the brothers publicly reconciled at Peter's Lagos home in a moment that generated significant goodwill from fans. 

The reunion, however, did not hold. By 2024, the brothers had separated again, with Paul publicly confirming the breakdown and citing ongoing personal differences.

The latest chapter of their feud escalated significantly over a song. Paul accused Peter of working with a producer who had originally collaborated with him on a track titled ‘Winning,’ alleging that the same producer re-recorded the song with Peter without his knowledge or consent. 

Peter responded with a detailed account of the song's creation, naming Ghanaian producer Vampire and songwriter Calypso as collaborators, and denied any wrongdoing. 

Despite the dispute, ‘Winning’ continued to gain traction, surpassing one million views on YouTube while the brothers argued publicly over its origins.

The conflict did not remain confined to music. Paul alleged that Peter had filed a petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that led to him and Jude Okoye being questioned by the agency. 

Paul stated that investigators reviewed his bank statements before clearing him of any wrongdoing. Peter denied initiating any action against his brother, instead suggesting that Paul's legal team had been directing attention toward Jude and his wife over what he described as a secret company and the movement of funds from a joint account.

Jude Okoye, the older brother who has frequently found himself at the centre of the family's disputes, has previously said he has done everything possible to resolve the conflict between the two.

Through all of it, the split, the brief reunion, the second split, and now the accumulation of legal allegations and public accusations, the shared birthday of November 18 had remained one of the few constants. 

Even as recently as November 2024, Peter posted birthday wishes that included Paul, a gesture fans noted as a sign of residual goodwill. That November 18 is now, apparently, no longer something Peter wishes to share.

It is perhaps the clearest indication yet that Peter Okoye is no longer interested in preserving the symbolism of a bond that, in practice, has not existed for some time.

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