Fatai Okoya, who identifies himself as the first son of billionaire businessman Chief Razaq Okoya, has opened up on his long-standing feud with his father, months after tendering a public apology.
The 66-year-old, who has been estranged from his father for about 30 years, made the revelations during a TikTok Live session following his open apology.
During the session, Fatai recounted his efforts to reconcile with his father. According to him, he attended Chief Okoya’s 86th birthday celebration where he was well received, but was prevented from seeing his father.
He alleged that his father’s wife, Shade Okoya, intervened when he tried to approach the celebrant and told him he could not see her husband. Fatai claimed his father saw him but could not say anything before he was asked to leave.
Fatai said he only wanted to spend time with his father and has tried every means possible to make peace with him. He noted that his father listens to no one and people around him try not to offend him.
When asked about the cause of their fallout, Fatai said it was a minor disagreement involving money. He admitted that he took a small amount of money when he was younger and reckless, but insisted it was not a large sum and not even enough to buy a car. He believes it is something his father should have forgiven.
He also revealed that his father was angered by his decision to marry a woman he did not approve of, but said he was young and in love at the time.
Chief Razaq Okoya’s brother, who was also on the live session, faulted Shade Okoya’s action, saying she should have handled the situation better as a woman and not made things worse.
Fatai’s daughter, who identified herself as Zee, also joined the live session. She disclosed that she has no relationship with her grandfather and alleged that someone has been blocking their attempts to reach him. She said her intervention was simply to help her father find peace, as she knows how much he misses his father after many years apart.
The host of the live session appealed to well meaning Nigerians to intervene, calling on Chief Okoya’s friend, Baba Ijebu, to help facilitate a reconciliation.
Fatai tendered another apology during the live and pleaded for an opportunity to see his father, recalling how close they were while he was growing up. He mentioned that he is the only child his mother had for his father.
As of the time of this report, neither Chief Razaq Okoya nor Shade Okoya has publicly responded to the claims, while the issue continues to generate reactions online.
Leave a comment