Zlatan Ibile Weds Davita Lamai in Lagos as Davido Leads Groomsmen in Edo Traditional Attire
Lagos Stands Still for #DTTheUnion
Lagos belonged to love on Saturday, October 24, 2026, as street-pop star Zlatan Ibile married his longtime partner, Davita Lamai, in a wedding celebration that turned the city into one long, joyful party. Under the hashtag #DTTheUnion, friends, family, fellow musicians and fans followed every moment of the day, from the groom’s grand entrance with his groomsmen to the star-studded reception that followed.
For a singer whose music has soundtracked street parties, weddings and celebrations across Nigeria for years, the day felt like a full circle. Zlatan, whose real name is Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael, has built his career on energy, humour and an uncanny ability to turn everyday life into a hit song. On his wedding day, that same energy filled the room, only this time the celebration was his own.
The wedding was the culmination of a love story that has played out in public for more than eight years, through two children, a private civil ceremony reported earlier in the year, and a save-the-date announcement that sent fans into a frenzy at the start of October. By the time the big day arrived, it was already one of the most talked-about celebrity weddings of the year in Nigeria.
Davido Leads the Groomsmen in Edo Traditional Attire
One of the most photographed moments of the day came before the main ceremony had even begun, when Zlatan stepped out with his groomsmen in coordinated Edo traditional attire. The groom and his men wore rich, regal outfits that drew immediate praise online, with fans and fashion watchers singling out the look as one of the standout style moments of the wedding season.
Afrobeats superstar Davido was front and centre among the groomsmen, a fitting role for a man Zlatan counts as one of his closest friends in the industry. In clips and photographs shared online, Davido could be seen beside the groom, whispering in his ear and sharing a laugh as the men posed together. The image of the two stars side by side, dressed in traditional finery, quickly became the defining photograph of the day.
Pulse Nigeria highlighted the moment on social media alongside the wedding hashtag, drawing attention to the groom and his entourage as they embraced Edo cultural fashion. For many observers, the choice of attire was significant. Nigerian weddings are often a showcase of cultural identity, and the coordinated Edo look blended contemporary celebrity glamour with deep respect for tradition.
Social media users reacted with delight to the outfits, praising the colour, the tailoring and the confidence of the group. Some fans joked that the groomsmen had stolen the show before the bride had even made her entrance, while others simply shared the photographs again and again, turning the groom’s party into a trending topic across Nigerian timelines.
Davido’s Arrival Set the Tone for a Heavy Weekend
The excitement had been building for days before the wedding. Davido arrived in Nigeria on Thursday, October 22, ahead of the ceremony, with clips showing him stepping off his private jet in a light blue jacket and black leather shorts. His arrival alone was enough to send fans into overdrive, because it confirmed what everyone already suspected: the wedding was going to be a major event.
Days earlier, Davido had posted a photograph of bundles of dollar bills on his Instagram Story, writing that it would be a heavy weekend for his best friend. The post, shared on Wednesday, October 21, was widely interpreted as a promise that he intended to spray generously at the wedding, in keeping with a long Nigerian tradition of celebrating loved ones with cash gifts at ceremonies.
Davido’s friendship with Zlatan runs deep. Zlatan was a guest at Davido and Chioma’s white wedding in Miami in August 2025, and Davido was among the first to react when Zlatan and Davita announced their wedding date, commenting with encouragement under the announcement post. Their bond is one of the most visible friendships in Afrobeats, built on collaborations, shared stages and years of public support for each other.
By Saturday, reports from the wedding showed Davido living up to his promise, stepping out as a groomsman and celebrating openly with the groom. According to posts shared by his logistics manager, Israel DMW, on Instagram, Davido and other celebrities formed part of the groom’s entourage for the celebration, adding star power to an already glittering occasion.
An Eight-Year Love Story, Made Official
Zlatan and Davita’s relationship has been one of the most followed in Nigerian entertainment. The couple have been together for more than eight years and share two sons, Toluwalase Omoniyi, born in 2020, and Benaiah Omoniyi, born in 2024. Their journey has included public highs, private moments and the kind of speculation that follows every famous couple.
The wedding date was announced on October 8, 2026, in a save-the-date video shared on Instagram. The video was narrated by one of their sons, who spoke warmly about his parents, saying that when he thinks about love, he thinks about his mother and father, and thanking God for their family. The caption carried only the date, 24 October 2026, and the hashtag #DTTheUnion, but it was enough to set the internet alight.
In the months before the announcement, the couple had fuelled speculation about their marital status. In early 2026, after a viral post described Davita as Zlatan’s wife, the singer reportedly responded that she was the mother of his children rather than his wife. By March, however, the couple had posted family photographs in which both wore matching rings, and Davita had begun using the surname Omoniyi on her social media profile.
In May, photographs from a private civil ceremony surfaced online, although the couple did not publicly address the ceremony at the time. Reports later suggested that the pair had held a private registry wedding earlier in the year. The October celebration, then, was the public, traditional and star-studded affirmation of a union that had already been quietly formalised, a chance for family, friends and fans to celebrate together in grand style.
In July, while travelling to the wedding of businessman and music executive Soso Soberekon, singer Teni introduced Davita as Zlatan’s wife and announced that a wedding was coming, before Davita herself invited those present to the celebration. It was one of the first public confirmations that a wedding was on the way, and it only increased anticipation for the October date.
Pre-Wedding Photos and a Traditional Glimpse
The build-up to the wedding was a celebration in itself. The couple released pre-wedding photographs that showed them in pastel outfits, styled by celebrity stylist Emmanuel Goodnews Icon in ice blue and blush pink. The photographs, widely shared by fans and blogs, presented a softer, romantic side of a couple best known to the public through Zlatan’s high-energy street-pop persona.
On Friday, October 23, just a day before the main ceremony, Zlatan and Davita gave fans a first glimpse of their traditional wedding style. The post drew admiration from fans, who praised the couple’s look and the elegance of the traditional outfits. It was a preview of the fashion spectacle that would follow on Saturday, when the groom and his men stepped out in their Edo attire.
Celebrity barman Cubana Chief Priest had also organised a special pre-wedding visit for Zlatan in Lagos on October 18, underlining how seriously the entertainment industry was taking the celebration. Friends including Poco Lee, Jarvis, Broda Shaggi and Toke Makinwa were among those who congratulated the couple publicly, with fans describing the union as eight years of love finally made official.
Gifts, too, began arriving before the wedding day. Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface reportedly sent Zlatan three cows as a wedding gift, a generous and traditional gesture that delighted fans and added to the sense that this was a celebration on a grand scale.
From Street-Pop Stardom to Family Man
Zlatan’s wedding marks a new chapter for an artist who has been one of the defining voices of Nigerian street-pop. Rising to fame with a string of energetic hits and his signature Zanku dance, he became a favourite of fans across the country and beyond, known for his humour, his slang and his ability to collaborate across genres.
His music has always celebrated community, hustle and joy, and his wedding reflected those same values. The celebration brought together street-pop lovers, Afrobeats stars, comedians, influencers and footballers, a cross-section of Nigerian celebrity culture united by affection for the groom.
For fans, the wedding also offered a glimpse of a more personal side of the singer. In his own words about Davita, Zlatan has described her as perfect, saying that God knew he did not have the strength and sent her to him. Davita, for her part, has described Zlatan as shy in private, a contrast to the Zanku king persona he presents on stage.
That contrast, between the public performer and the private partner, is part of why the wedding resonated so widely. Fans who have danced to his songs for years felt they were celebrating with someone they knew, and the couple’s decision to centre their children in the announcement, with their son narrating the save-the-date video, gave the celebration a warmth that went beyond celebrity spectacle.
Fans, Fashion and the Asoebi Conversation
As with every major Nigerian wedding, fashion and asoebi became a conversation of their own. On Saturday, reports noted that Israel DMW had revealed details of the wedding asoebi, while fans debated outfits, colours and the groom’s traditional look. Zlatan’s name trended at number 20 on Nigeria’s trending list on social media, according to trend trackers, a measure of just how widely the wedding was being followed.
The wedding also highlighted the role of traditional attire in modern Nigerian celebrations. Couples and their families often use clothing to celebrate cultural identity and heritage, and the groom’s Edo-inspired look, paired with the pastel pre-wedding shoot, showed how tradition and contemporary style can sit side by side at the same celebration.
For the couple, the day was the end of a long road and the start of a new one. After eight years together, two children and a love story that has survived public scrutiny, they now begin married life with the blessing of family, friends and an entire industry behind them.
As photographs and videos from the celebration continue to circulate, one thing is clear: #DTTheUnion was not just a wedding. It was a cultural moment, a reunion of some of Nigeria’s biggest stars, and a celebration of a love story that fans have followed from its early days to its happiest chapter yet.
Source: Ghanamma, Click Naija, ShowTV Entertainment, The News Chronicle, Galaxy Television, Pulse Nigeria, BellaNaija.