Why I no longer celebrate my birthday on November 18 — Peter Okoye
By Folashade Olorunfemi –
Afrobeats singer Peter Okoye, one half of the defunct P-Square duo, has explained why he decided to change the date he celebrates his birthday amid the lingering rift with his twin brother, Paul Okoye.
Peter had announced on April 20 that he would henceforth celebrate his birthday on November 30 instead of November 18, saying he would no longer accept birthday wishes or gifts on the original date.
In the sixth part of his tell-all series shared on social media, the singer said the decision was prompted by the online abuse his wife, Lola, allegedly faced from Paul’s supporters whenever she celebrated his birthday.
According to him, Lola could not celebrate his birthday without acknowledging Paul because they share the same birth date. He claimed that whenever she posted birthday messages for both brothers, Paul would respond in a way that exposed her to online attacks.
“Right now I have changed my birthday. It’s worth it. Ever since PSquare had problems, anytime we’re celebrating our birthday, it has been insult upon insult on my wife and myself. Lola doesn’t know how to post happy birthday to me alone because if she does, people will insult her. So she posts both Paul and me, and Paul will respond in a way that sends people to her page to insult her,” he said.
Peter also revealed that he deliberately leaves his home every November 18 to avoid the emotional strain associated with the date and the renewed attention on the PSquare feud.
He said he had previously tried releasing new songs and music videos on November 18 to shift public attention from the birthday celebration, but the move did not change the situation.
“Make una no vex, but I have changed my birthday permanently. It’s now November 30. I know I can’t change my official documents or passport because the process is long, especially as I’m always on tour, but I’ll leave them as they are,” he added.
