A wedding season that was supposed to be about celebration has turned into one of the loudest feuds in Nigerian pop culture this year. What started with just a corny lyric on a new song has pulled in three of the country’s most talked-about public figures: social media critic VeryDarkMan (VDM), rapper/singer Zlatan Ibile and Afrobeats star Davido. Here is how it unfolded, what each side has said, and where things stand.
DAVIDO
David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer born on November 21, 1992, in Atlanta, USA. He rose to fame in 2011 with his hit song Dami Duro and has since become one of Africa’s biggest Afrobeats stars. Some of his popular songs include Aye, Gobe, Skelewu, If, Fall, Assurance, FEM, Unavailable, Awuke, Funds and With You. He is married to Chioma Rowland Adeleke, popularly known as Chef Chi, whom he celebrated in his 2018 hit song Assurance. The couple have twins together and also had a son. Davido has six children in total, including Imade and Hailey from previous relationships. He has released successful albums such as A Good Time, A Better Time, Timeless, 5ive and ORIADÉ, further establishing his influence on the global Afrobeats scene. Davido is one of Afrobeats‘ biggest global names and a Grammy-nominated artist. He is a longtime friend of Zlatan, and was also, by multiple accounts, once close to VDM.
ZLATAN
Zlatan Ibile (Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael) is a Nigerian rapper and singer who rose through street-pop and the Zanku movement. He was a close associate of Mohbad, which is part of why his public silence after Mohbad’s death became a talking point. He has largely avoided direct online exchanges with VDM, until now. He recently married his longtime partner, Davita Lamai.
VERYDARKMAN (VDM)
VeryDarkMan (Martins Vincent Otse) built his following as an unfiltered online commentator, known for calling out celebrities, businesspeople and public officials in blunt, often confrontational videos. Supporters see a fearless critic who says what others won’t. Critics see a provocateur whose methods and motives are sometimes questionable. He has been a central voice in public conversations around the death of singer Mohbad, a role that has drawn both praise and sharp criticism.
WHAT CAUSED THE SMOKE
The Zlatan and VDM tension goes back to the aftermath of Mohbad’s death. VDM publicly pressed Zlatan and other music figures to speak about what they knew. In mid-2025, he released an alleged phone recording involving Zlatan and Sam Larry, then gave Zlatan a 48-hour ultimatum to explain his silence. Zlatan did not respond publicly at the time. Sam Larry, for his part, has denied ever assaulting or threatening Mohbad.
THE INFERNO BAR
In late October, Zlatan released “INFERNO” with Peruzzi and Shoday. One line in his verse was quickly read by listeners as a jab at VDM: it plays on VDM’s first name, Vincent, and references the activist’s own past public remarks about self-pleasure, the line goes: “I no be Vincent, I no dey Mast****te“. Zlatan has not explicitly confirmed who the line targets. The song went on to top the Apple Music Nigeria chart as well as Spotify.
VDM FIRES BACK
VDM responded in a video. He mocked Zlatan’s recent wedding, arguing it was staged to promote the song and that online buzz around it was underwhelming. He called INFERNO “the Vincent song,” suggested Peruzzi, not Zlatan, was the real owner of the track, and said he would be disappointed if it did not hold the number one spot on Apple Music for a full month. The song’s early chart performance has been cited by Zlatan’s supporters as a counterpoint.
DAVIDO VIBES
Zlatan’s traditional wedding took place in Lagos on October 24, with Davido among the guests. Davido also publicly celebrated Zlatan, Peruzzi and Shoday on Instagram after the song’s release, reacting with fire emojis. The moment that widened the feud came at the Morocco leg of the wedding festivities. A video from the welcome party showed Davido singing along to Zlatan’s verse, including the lines many took to be aimed at VDM. Davido and his wife, Chioma, attended the final leg on November 4.
ROUND TWO: ON MY KNEES
VDM responded with a video aimed at both men. “I no be David Adeleke wey dey beg toto” were his words allegedly He said he would rather please himself than kneel and beg a woman, in a line that referenced Davido by his real name. He also warned Zlatan, saying he was “coming” and that Zlatan would learn the hard way.
