Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation International and uncle to Sophia Momodu, mother of Davido’s first daughter, has urged both parties to avoid making harmful statements about their custody dispute on social media.
He expressed his thoughts on Instagram, stressing that provocative statements only worsen the situation, especially for the child involved.
Momodu called for both Davido and Sophia to prioritize their daughter’s well-being and reach a compromise regarding custody and financial responsibilities. He stated that the matter is currently being litigated in court.
In a detailed post titled, “MY CANDID OPINION ON DAVID ADELEKE vs SOPHIA MOMODU,” Momodu revealed a distressing message from Davido about a counter-affidavit submitted in response to his request for joint custody.
“Last night, I received a distressing message from Mr David Adeleke (aka Davido). He was obviously devastated by the counter-affidavit submitted in court, earlier in the day, in response to his affidavit seeking a joint custody of his daughter with my niece Sophia Momodu”.
Momodu was surprised by this development, as he had recently spoken with Davido, who did not mention any custody issues. They had discussed Davido’s upcoming wedding, and Davido seemed happy about reconnecting with his daughter after a long period of no contact.
Momodu recounted his efforts to resolve issues between the families, including the non-payment of school fees, accommodation, and nanny salaries. He praised Davido’s father, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, for his support, mentioning that he had resolved the school fees issue and provided a car for the child.
“The issues were: non-payment of school fees for several sessions; non-payment of accommodation and salaries of a nanny. There was no car dedicated to David’s daughter. And so on. Mercifully, I mentioned all to Dr Adedeji Adeleke and he responded positively, like a true grandfather.
“On the issue of non-payment of school fees, David’s dad cleared everything and also set up payments of future bills. He gave his grand daughter a car to take her to school. The remaining issue was on accommodation.”
However, there were still disagreements about accommodation arrangements, with Sophia feeling uncomfortable living in a family-owned apartment due to her unmarried status.
Momodu attributed the ongoing conflict to a lack of camaraderie between Davido and Sophia.
He stressed the importance of treating their daughter well, given Davido’s global status, and mentioned that Sophia had allowed Davido access to their daughter under specific conditions.
“My opinion is that the absence of camaraderie between David and Sophia has caused this debacle. I have cautioned repeatedly that their daughter must not be allowed to suffer or be treated like a second-class child. David’s global status makes this imperative.:
He detailed instances where Sophia facilitated interactions between their daughter and Davido’s family, but also pointed out communication issues that led to missed opportunities.
Momodu noted that the court had referred the case for possible settlement through alternative dispute resolution and advised both parties to engage genuinely in this process.
Momodu concluded the article by highlighting his nine-year effort to ensure amicable resolutions and proper welfare structures for the child.
He emphasized that Sophia did not initiate the court action but is seeking to protect their daughter and establish a sustainable relationship between father and child.