Dr Deji Adeleke, father of Afrobeats star David ‘Davido’ Adeleke, has firmly dismissed renewed paternity claims involving his son, insisting that multiple DNA tests have conclusively shown that the teenage girl at the centre of the controversy is not Davido’s child.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, the billionaire businessman said the Adeleke family had exhaustively investigated the allegation over the years and would have accepted the child “without hesitation” if any test had indicated otherwise.
“The DNA profile is clear. DNA will not change even if it is done ten times,” “Science is science.”Adeleke said.
The long-running controversy involves Ayo Labinjo, an Ibadan-based woman who alleged that she had a sexual relationship with Davido during one of his early career visits to the city, resulting in the birth of a baby girl, Anu. She claimed the singer later abandoned the child.
The issue resurfaced recently after an Instagram account said to belong to the girl publicly appealed to Davido to submit to another DNA test. Davido responded by stating that several DNA tests had already been conducted and all showed he was not the child’s father.
The renewed attention followed an open letter allegedly written by 12-year-old Anu Adeleke, in which she claimed she was being bullied in school over questions about her paternity and urged Davido to address the matter publicly.
At the briefing, Dr Adeleke said he first became aware of the allegation in 2014, when he received a package from Ibadan containing photographs of Davido and the child, a birth certificate listing “Adeleke David” as the father, and a letter from the child’s grandmother requesting a DNA test.
According to him, the grandmother, a widow, made it clear she was not seeking marriage or financial gain, but simply wanted paternity established.
“She stated clearly that she was not asking David to marry her daughter, she only wanted a paternity test and for David to take responsibility if it was confirmed.” Adeleke said.
Adeleke said he immediately contacted the family and personally arranged a DNA test at Vedic Lifecare Hospital in Lagos, with samples analysed in South Africa.
“Even before speaking to David, I called the woman and told her that if the child was truly my granddaughter, I would welcome her into my family happily,” he said.
Saliva samples were taken from Davido and the child in the presence of all parties, including the child’s mother and grandmother, with both Adeleke and the grandmother designated to receive the results.
“When the results came out, the probability of paternity was zero per cent,” the laboratory explained clearly that David was not the father.” Adeleke said.
He added that despite the outcome, he personally proposed additional DNA tests at other reputable centres to eliminate any doubt and offered to cover accommodation and logistics for the family in Lagos.
“The grandmother broke down and cried, I told her mistakes could happen and suggested we do two more tests so that nobody would ever question the result.”
According to him, multiple DNA tests were eventually conducted, all yielding the same outcome.
Addressing calls for the DNA reports to be made public, Adeleke said the family would not release them, citing security and legal concerns.
“It is dangerous for anyone’s DNA profile to be in the public domain,” he said,warning that such disclosure could expose both Davido and the minor to serious risks.
He stressed that the family had no reason to deny a child, noting that he already has 14 grandchildren.
“What is one more?” Adeleke said. “Is it that I cannot afford to take care of her? But there is science, and science is clear.”