Fatai Okoya, son of Nigerian billionaire industrialist Razaq Okoya, has attributed his strained relationship with his father to his decision to marry a woman against the industrialist’s wishes, as he publicly appeals for reconciliation.
Fatai made the disclosure during a TikTok Live session with YeyeKudi Courtroom on Sunday, days after publicly asking his father for forgiveness and another opportunity to rebuild their relationship.
In the session, a video of which was shared on YeyeKudi Courtroom’s page on Monday, Fatai described the estrangement as painful, insisting that he could not identify any other major wrongdoing that might have caused the breakdown in their relationship.
“My daddy held on to one thing: he did not want me to marry the first woman I married, but I did not listen to him. I went ahead and married her,” he said.
Fatai explained that he was young and had spent a considerable period abroad when he made the decision, adding that he later struggled to understand why the disagreement continued to affect their relationship.
He also denied embezzling substantial sums while working in his father’s industries, saying he had not acquired expensive properties or vehicles during that period.
“If anyone says I embezzled money from the industries, perhaps it was a small amount I made through my work there, not a substantial sum,” he said.
Fatai recalled a close relationship with his father during his childhood and younger years, saying they shared clothes and shoes and travelled together to Italy, London and other parts of Europe.
According to him, Razaq Okoya took him along on trips where he was introduced to how the family’s businesses operated. He said their former closeness made the current estrangement particularly difficult to understand.
“Now that I am older, I appeal to him to use his wisdom as an elder to accept me back so that we can resolve this matter and restore our relationship to what it used to be, or even make it better,” he said.
He added that he had turned to social media after being unable to reach his father through the usual channels.
“Please help me beg my daddy,” he appealed.
Fatai said the dispute had taken an emotional toll on him, adding that several family members and his father’s friends had tried unsuccessfully to mediate.
He alleged that some people who attempted to intervene had subsequently lost contact with his father over their involvement in the matter.
He also questioned why the disagreement had remained unresolved, arguing that other members of the family had been forgiven for their own mistakes.
“What have I done to him? I have not tarnished his name or done anything illegal. I am not a fraudster, and I do not belong to any social clubs because I prefer to keep to myself rather than associate with people,” he said.
“I love my father, and I have nothing against him. He is the one who is angry with me; I do not consider myself in a position to be angry with my father.”
He said his greatest wish was for God to soften his father’s heart and make it possible for them to reconcile.
Fatai also recounted what he described as his last encounter with his father at the industrialist’s 86th birthday celebration on January 12, 2026, at Oluwanishola.
He said he attended the event as an invitee because he wanted to honour his father, adding that he received a VIP welcome and was seated near the front.
According to Fatai, his aunt, Wasilat, approached him and said his father had been informed of his presence. He said he asked the family to let his father know that he had come peacefully.
However, he alleged that when he attempted to approach the stage after his father arrived, the industrialist’s wife, Sade Okoya, stopped him and told him he could not see his father without prior arrangements.
“My father had nothing to say. So, I had to turn back and return to my seat. He saw me and recognised me, but Sade had already decided that I should leave,” Fatai said.
He further claimed that his father remained silent during the encounter, which he interpreted as an indication that the situation had become difficult for him to address.
The account of the birthday encounter represents Fatai’s version of events. Sade Okoya and Razaq Okoya had not publicly responded to his claims as of the time of the report.
Fatai has described himself as Razaq Okoya’s first child. However, the claim could not be independently verified, and he did not identify his mother during the TikTok Live session or in his earlier appeal.
The precise number of the industrialist’s children has also not been publicly confirmed by him.
In February 2026, one of his sons, Raheem Okoya, popularly known as Siraheem, said in an interview that his father had 26 children with nine women. Raheem described himself as the 23rd child and said the eldest was about 60 years old.
The statement did not independently establish Fatai’s position among the children.
Razaq Okoya, a prominent Nigerian industrialist, has yet to publicly respond to Fatai’s appeal for forgiveness or the allegations he raised during the live session.
The circumstances surrounding the prolonged estrangement therefore remain unclear, with Fatai’s account providing his own explanation of the family dispute.
