The news is everywhere but some of us still choose to disbelieve it – the most famous and successful singing duo in Nigeria (Africa?) is about to split. It started with a tweet from their older brother and longtime manager Jude ‘Engees’ Okoye and the rumour has still not been denied. Gossip blogs (of which I’m not one) have also said that the split is due to their marriages or the influence of their wives on the duo.
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The most successful groups are duos, anything more than two is an invitation to wahala – from Jodeci to K-Ci and Jojo, 112, Jagged Edge, Boyz II Men, AZ Yet, New Edition, Backstreet Boys, N Sync, Westlife, Remedies, Platashun Boiz, Def O’Clan, Tripple B, Trybesmen etc. Yet, Artquake has weathered the storm. When it was just Don Jazzy and Dbanj, things were fine but when it became Mo’Hits family, kasala burst. When the going was good for P-Square back in their Uniabuja days, it was really just the two of them and that’s the most perfect figure for any relational equation: they can have divergent opinions, quarrel and even fight sometimes (1 + 1 = 2), they can be united in vision and purpose (1 + 1 = 1), they can disagree to agree (2 ÷ 1 = 2), they can do all sorts of things and even decide to split nicely (2 – 1 = 1). Add another one to the equation and see if it divides nicely or performs all these equations with the same mathematical ease. Add few more numbers and the result is chaos.
Jude Engees may have produced their first video but those of us who got their first tape remember it was just the two of them that started initially. Jude as their older brother took over and managed them successfully, only occasionally producing other artistes. He kept them together but three is always a crowd because two out of the three would tend to have similar ideas and opinion on matters. If this happens too often, the third person would start to feel resentful which is what the gossips say is Peter’s problem. Jude tended to prefer Paul’s songs and Peter was beginning to look like just a dancer. Then both brothers got married – Paul to Anita Isama and Peter to Lola Omotayo and that’s where woman power turned the whole equation inside out.
One of my most fascinating events in history is the demise of Samson which can be directly traced to his wife, Delilah. she asked what the secret of his power was and he said that if he were bound with seven vines he would be powerless. She did this, invited his enemies to capture him but he broke free. She asked again, he told her to bind him with seven new ropes and he would be powerless. She did, invited his enemies to capture him again but he broke free. Then she asked again, he told her to bind his seven locks of hair to the wall with a pin which she did then called his enemies and he broke free the third time.
At this point, if you’re not stupid, you would know this woman wants to kill you but here the narrative changed a bit – Delilah said to Samson “How can you say you love me yet you have mocked me these three times by not telling me the secret of your strength?” and then Samson’s soul was ‘vexed unto death’ and he told her the truth – the rest is history…such a fascinating history.
Lola Omotayo is said to be the major reason Peter finally spoke up and stood up to his brothers to the extent of leaving their Squareville mansion for an apartment in Lekki. She got married to Peter and the going was still good for a while until Paul got married to Anita. Are women really that strong or is the weakness right inside us as men? This is very similar to this article I wrote just yesterday. Yes, women are strong but only as strong as their men allow them. Toni Payne waded into the whole issue with her opinion which is very intelligible – to say that Lola Omotayo influenced Peter to leave his brothers is to say that Peter Okoye is a weak man and I agree.
No man is strong enough to resist the power of a woman whose influence he has opened himself up to. On the other hand, no woman is strong enough to influence a man except he opens himself up to her. Women are human and they have their own designs sometimes about how the lives of their men should play out. Lola was unloved and unaccepted by Peter’s family (according to the gossip bloggers) but that isn’t enough to make her cause the split – she isn’t strong enough to do that. The major problem is that Peter must have been complaining to her about this or that issue within their musical/business setup and she advised him to do what he really felt like doing – leave them if you’re gonna be complaining about them – Garbage In, Garbage Out.
Chubby Cheeks (that’s my wife) knows my life and she is my closest confidante. If I keep telling her how I hate my business partner and think I can stand on my own, she’ll one day ask me to split the business and setup my own firm – it’s that simple. If I tell her I hate my business partner but can’t operate a real estate firm on my own, she’ll probably not ask me to split the business since I need him, though I hate him. Women are multipliers – what you put in is what they nurture and deliver to you.
So brothers, marry a woman who has your best interests at heart. Confide in her only if you will tell her the whole truth about the situation, not just the negative of the other parties. Some men do not discuss some issues with their wives, preferring instead to seek counsel from outside. In any case, third party influence is always a major problem. The most ideal number is 2. If you forget everything I’ve said in this piece dear brother, remember this: a woman is only as powerful as the weakness inside you permits her to be. That’s what I wrote for Demola Today, yesterday.
Demola Rewaju owns Demola Rewaju Daily where this article was first published.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
