On a Tuesday in June 2024, a former Nigerian president, a first-class king and three state governors cleared their diaries for a musician’s wedding.
Davido and Chioma held their wedding on 25 June 2024 at Harbour Point, an events centre in Lagos. The guest list included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Lagos governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Osun governor Ademola Adeleke, who is Davido’s uncle, and Ogun governor Dapo Abiodun. For days before and after, the hashtag #Chivido2024 dominated Nigerian social media.
A long road to the aisle
David Adeleke and Chioma Rowland had been together publicly since at least 2018, when Davido released “Assurance” with a video built around their relationship. Their story had a very public share of joy and grief. Their son, Ifeanyi, died in a drowning accident at their Lagos home in October 2022, a loss that drew sympathy across Africa. The couple stepped back from public life for months afterwards.
When they returned to the public eye together, the wedding became a symbol of that recovery for many fans. The couple had already married quietly at a court ceremony in March 2023, so the June 2024 event was the traditional wedding: the public, family celebration of a marriage already made.
Yoruba groom, Igbo bride
Davido’s family is Yoruba, from Osun State; Chioma is Igbo, from Imo State. The ceremony reflected both. Guests wore aso-ebi in the couple’s chosen colours, and the day moved between Yoruba and Igbo elements, from the traditional rites to the music. Performers and entertainers from Nigeria’s music and comedy scenes filled the programme, and King Sunny Ade, the juju legend, was among the guests.
The guest list as a statement
Nigerian celebrity weddings often double as a show of reach, and #Chivido2024 was no exception. Politicians, traditional rulers, billionaires, footballers and entertainers shared the hall. Victor Osimhen, then the reigning African Footballer of the Year, was there. So were Obi Cubana, the businessman famous for his mother’s lavish funeral, and TV host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, a regular at the biggest society events.
Clips of guests spraying money, of the couple’s dances and of the decor spread fast on Instagram, TikTok and X. The wedding became a talking point for wedding planners too, with decorators, caterers and fashion designers across West Africa sharing their takes on the looks and the setting.
The dance everyone shared
As at most Nigerian weddings, the moments that travelled furthest were not the formal ones. It was the couple dancing in the middle of a crowd of friends, with Davido’s hits playing, and guests covering them in cash. Those are the images most people remember.
It was not the last ceremony. On 10 August 2025, the couple held a Christian white wedding in Miami, attended by guests including Aliko Dangote, Governor Adeleke, Bukola Saraki and Kirk Franklin, with reported costs of about 3.7 million dollars. #Chivido2025 followed #Chivido2024 onto every timeline.
The Lagos wedding was big, loud and very public. For a couple who had spent part of the previous two years grieving out of view, the choice to celebrate with the whole country watching said as much as any vow.
