The billionaire businessman Dr. Deji Adeleke has publicly addressed a decade-long paternity dispute involving his son, the Afrobeats star Davido, dismissing the claims as “entirely false” and backed by science.
In his first-ever press conference, the elder Adeleke revealed that a series of DNA tests conducted over the last ten years have repeatedly shown a “0.00% probability” that Davido is the father of a young girl, Anuoluwapo, who lives in the city of Ibadan.
The billionaire also accused a well-known social media commentator of impersonating the child and her mother online to keep the “fabricated” controversy alive for years.
A ‘grandmother’s plea’ and the first test
Dr. Adeleke explained that the matter first came to his attention in 2014 when he received a package containing a birth certificate listing “Adeleke David” as the father and a letter from the child’s grandmother.
“I called the woman immediately,” Dr. Adeleke told reporters. “I told her that if the child was truly my granddaughter, I would welcome her into my family happily. I have 14 grandchildren—what is one more? I can afford to take care of her.”
To settle the matter, the businessman arranged for the family to travel to a specialist clinic in Lagos. Under the supervision of both families, saliva samples were taken and sent to South Africa for analysis.
“The lab explained clearly that David was not the father. The grandmother broke down and cried,” he said.
Five negative results
Despite the initial result, Dr. Adeleke said he personally funded four additional tests at different reputable centres to “eliminate any doubt” for the mother’s family. According to the Adelekes, all five tests returned negative results.
The issue resurfaced recently after an Instagram account—purportedly belonging to the child—appealed for a fresh test. Davido responded on social media, expressing frustration at the “repeated” demands despite the scientific evidence.
[Image: Davido and his father, Dr Deji Adeleke, at a family event]
The ‘impersonation’ allegations
Dr. Adeleke directed strong criticism toward a controversial online commentator, alleging they had been using the child’s identity to sustain the narrative for social media engagement.
“I’m not on social media, but I’m sure you have been inundated with these talks,” he said. “The allegations have been continually sustained through impersonation and misinformation.”
When asked why the family would not release the DNA certificates to the public to end the debate once and for all, the billionaire cited security and privacy laws. “It is dangerous for anyone’s DNA profile to be in the public domain. It exposes the child and my son to serious risks,” he argued.
‘Science is clear’
The press conference appears to be a definitive attempt by the Adeleke family to draw a line under the long-running saga.
“There is science, and science is clear,” the billionaire concluded, urging the public to disregard the “misleading narratives” that have followed the global music star since the start of his career.
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