Music star Peter Okoye has slammed critics who questioned his decision to move his birthday celebration from November 18 to November 30.

Okoye, popularly known as Mr P and one-half of the defunct duo P-Square, announced the change on Monday.

He said he would no longer accept messages or gifts on November 18, adding that the move was a personal decision.

In a post shared Tuesday on X, he expressed surprise at the backlash, questioning why the change was causing outrage and compared the reactions to debates around the date of Christmas.

He also said the attention given to his birthday shift outweighed focus on Nigeria’s real problems.

He wrote: “Una dey vex like say I cancel Christmas? Na my birthday date I move… no be your own, why e dey pain you? Even Jesus Christ December 25th date sef, people still dey debate am.

“Why cry more than the bereaved? Only in Nigeria Funny how my birthday date shift is causing more pain than Nigeria’s real problems.

“Just for the record: Insult no dey reduce success. Who don make am, don make am! Know that and know peace”.

Peter rose to fame with his twin brother, Paul Okoye, as P-Square, one of Africa’s most successful music groups in the 2000s and early 2010s.

The duo’s career has been marked by splits and reconciliations. Their first major fallout became public around 2015 over management and royalties.

They disbanded in 2017, with Peter performing as Mr P and Paul as Rudeboy.

The duo reunited in 2021 and released new music together. However, tensions resurfaced over financial transparency and catalogue management, leading to fresh public exchanges and legal proceedings involving the Okoye family.