While the blogosphere is agog with the news that Anita Okoye, wife of popular Nigerian pop-star and one of defunct Psquare, Paul Okoye, is seeking dissolution of her seven year old marriage, it defies imagination going by their love story.
Come on! This shouldn’t be, not for any reason whatsoever because the reality of this is quite disheartening. Though not surprising considering Nigeria’s entertainment industry has witnessed and registered most pathetic of divorce cases overtime, the news that Anita Okoye, wife of popular Nigerian pop-star Paul Okoye has filed for divorce defies imagination going by the fairytale of these lovebirds who have nestled each other for 17 years as friends and as husband and wife. Anita, who runs TannkCo for Kids, a retail outlet for children clothing and accessories, is seeking the dissolution of her 7-year marriage to Paul (Rudeboy) at a High Court in Abuja, according to a court document.
In the court document which made the rounds on social media platforms after it was purported to have been leaked online, Anita requested the dissolution of their marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. She also advised her now estranged husband in the petition for the divorce to challenge the application if he feels disgruntled. Sooner than the court papers surfaced online, Anita had posted on her Instagram, alongside a picture, saying: “Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have been, to stand up taller than you ever were! Cheers to friends that make sure every day is #pictureperfect.”
Paul, popularly known as Rude Boy and one-half of defunct music group – Psquare – got married to Anita in 2014 after dating for 10 years. Both who were campus sweethearts back in their days at University of Abuja got married in 2014 in a very flamboyant wedding ceremony held in Port Harcourt. They welcomed their first son, Andre, the previous year. In 2017, they welcomed a set of twins, Nadia and Nathan. The news of their pending divorce is even more shocking in that the couple celebrated their wedding anniversary in March 22, 2021.
Maybe their wedding anniversary celebration was mere formality as recent happening between both has shown otherwise. Words from Paul and Anita weren’t as sweet and inspiring as expected but drab as the couple celebrated their seven years of being married. “Happy 7th anniversary to us”, Paul wrote, with some throwback photos from their traditional wedding ceremony in 2014. Anita also then took to her Instagram page with photos from their wedding day as well which she captioned “Seven years of marriage to this big head.”
Reports revealed that Anita first sparked divorce rumours in April when it was reported that she relocated with their three children to the United States of America. Anita sparked rumour of the breakup again, after she recently deleted her husband’s photos from her Instagram account, @Anitaokoye. Paul who is currently promoting his first new album as a solo artiste is yet to respond to the notice of divorce.
According to a source as at the time of filing this report, however, there’s ample evidence that Rudeboy’s lawyer has yet to get a brief in that respect. Barrister Somadina Eugene Okorie of Senocean Law Practice, counsel to Paul ‘Rudeboy’ Okoye, said: “I don’t think this subject worth breaking a sweat on, since as I talk with you, I’m yet to receive a brief touching the news already in circulation. If the story is real, I would have been briefed by now and this is devoid of sentiments.”
This reporter had in a one on one interview with Paul in July 2019 inquired about his family life. He also inquired about how he’s been able to manage and balance both his music and family. And what he enjoys most as a family man. He responded thus: “Okay, basically I’m good. You know I’m a family man. I have three kids; twins – a boy and a girl, and my first son a boy. Their names are Andre, and Nadia and Nathan and my lovely wife, Anita. Being a family man and being an entertainer is very tasking. It’s very difficult to manage music and marriage.
“Thank God for technology, you can call and video and do stuff but it’s still not enough. Well, I try my best to balance it. But at the same time, I think it depends on who you are married to. Because at the end of the day, you find out that if you go like this you are hurting the fans, and if you go like this, you are hurting the family. If the person you are married to does not understand, trust me, there’s nothing you can do about it. You just have to understand it that this is who I am before I met you and I’m still with you.
“You try as much as possible not to over travel, you try as much as possible to make out time for them. Even part of your trips, you create and make it like a holiday. I think this thing of travelling and when you come back the way they rush you, they embrace you. Most times, I travel and I come back like Sunday morning. While I have not slept, I still tell everybody ‘take a shower let’s go out’. And I do that every time I travel. Sometimes, I might call from the airport and say ‘please start getting them ready, I’m coming.’ And they will like ‘no need let’s do it next week if you are free’. I will say ‘next week I’m travelling let me just do it now’”.
For Anita in an interview in August same 2019, she said, “It’s great!” when asked how it feels being married to one of Nigeria’s foremost music star, adding “We live a very normal life and enjoy the company of our family.” She would however assume that she doesn’t think there are any peculiar challenges as a wife to a superstar and as entrepreneur. “I don’t think there is any peculiar challenges per say. We are very humble people (my family), I am also very industrious. I want to build a brand for myself and I want to leave a legacy for my children also.
“I believe I face the same challenges that every single wife with children faces – pursuing that career and ensuring home is good too. I make time to cook, do assignments with the children, read to them before they sleep, attend functions with my husband, listen and be a part of his projects, attend school functions, connect with other moms and run a couple of businesses as well. It is not an easy task to find the time to do everything you love. But I have learned how to prioritise, and I have learned how to balance my work life and home life. It also makes it easier that I have a family that supports me.”
Culled from THISDAYLIVE
