Nigerian celebrity feuds in the entertainment industry often make headlines, and 2024 has seen some intense clashes happen occasionally. This year, a well-known rivalry between two popular music stars flared up once more, even though they had previously reconciled. At the same time, a dispute between brothers in a musical group looks like it may never be resolved and could mean that their partnership will be over for good. A shame if that happens.
Without further ado, here’s a list of a few of the Nigerian celebrity feuds that created a buzz on social media this year.
4 High-Profile Nigerian Celebrity Feuds in 2024
#1. Davido and Wizkid
The recent clash between Nigerian artists Davido and Wizkid is still going strong, and many find it quite surprising, especially since they reconciled after their initial spat close to a decade ago at Wizkid’s concert in 2017. During that event, Wizkid invited Davido to join him on stage to perform the latter’s hit song, “Fia.” This gesture effectively put to rest the rumors of their rivalry at the time.
Fast forward to April 2024, and the two are back at it again. The latest drama began when Wizkid posted a controversial video on X, formerly known as Twitter. The video featured a tearful Davido allegedly pleading with an American model, Bonita Maria, for reasons still undisclosed. In the clip, Davido repeatedly says, “I’m on my knees,” while doing just that. Wizkid even jokingly suggested that fans should request new music with the same passion that Davido was displaying in the video.
This post quickly stirred up social media and many interpreted it as a jab at Davido. The ‘Assurance’ singer later responded directly, claiming that Wizkid’s music is no longer relevant while boasting about his own success in the industry. He added, “I have hits; he doesn’t. Tell him to let’s drop it.” Davido also mocked Wizkid’s height, openly wondering how others in the industry might feel intimidated by him.
After a lull in the conflict, Wizkid seemed to take another shot at Davido in September by teasing a special announcement for Nigeria’s Independence Day on October 1. Davido quickly jumped in with a similar announcement. When he teased a new song on Instagram, Wizkid fired back on X, mocking Davido’s efforts by saying, “Pus** boys are dropping mids again! Una don tyre! Make una go rest small!” Again, this was widely seen as another dig at Davido’s work.
#2. P-Square: Mr P and Rudeboy
Peter Okoye was part of the popular Nigerian music duo P-Square alongside his twin brother, Paul Okoye. They wrote and produced most of their own songs and enjoyed great success, releasing five albums and many hit singles after gaining fame with their 2003 song “Senorita.”
However, in 2017, the brothers split due to disagreements with their management and some personal differences. Peter would later on accuse their elder brother, Jude, of showing favoritism towards Paul. The brothers reconciled in 2021, but in an interview with City FM in August 2024, Paul revealed that Peter isn’t interested in reuniting P-Square. Paul also claimed that Peter accused him and Jude of misappropriating P-Square’s royalties, which led to a financial investigation.
In response, Peter wrote an open letter to Paul on social media, stating he doesn’t see them as rivals but was frustrated by the latter’s repeated undermining comments in interviews. He emphasized that he views their work as a team effort, unlike Paul, who often speaks only for himself. Peter also addressed his brother’s disrespect towards his family and claimed Jude was influencing Paul against him. Meanwhile, Jude denied any wrongdoing regarding the finances.
Now just last month, Paul, now known as Rudeboy, accused Peter, who goes by Mr P, of stealing his song “Winning.” Rudeboy claimed that he originally wrote the song and recorded it with a producer, who later collaborated with Mr P on the same track. He discussed the situation briefly on Instagram, questioning how it was possible since he believed he was the rightful creator.
Despite his twin’s accusations and criticism from some netizens, Mr P remained unfazed and continued to promote the song.
#3. Denilson Igwe and Mark Angel
Denilson Igwe, who was once part of the Mark Angel comedy crew, made some serious allegations against his former colleague, Mark Angel, in a podcast video that went viral in August. He accused Mark of not being open about the earnings from their comedy channel, which they started together in 2013.
In an episode of “The Honest Bunch” podcast, Denilson talked about how the comedy project began and how Mark had suggested they create a Facebook page for their work. However, Denilson claims that he was completely unaware when the page began generating revenue, even as their skits gained popularity. He expressed feeling like he was laboring tirelessly without receiving any compensation for his contributions.
At one point during the interview, he estimated that their channel was making around $160,000 a month during its peak, but the first payment Denilson received from Mark was only ₦50,000 in 2016.
Furthermore, he also mentioned how a child star featured on multiple episodes of the comedy show was only paid ₦20,000 a month, despite the channel’s large profits. To back this up, he even shared a document detailing her payment agreement with Mark, which stated,
“The Manager shall pay to the Artist a monthly upkeep of N20,000.00 (Twenty Thousand Naira) only.”
Later that same month, Mark Angel responded to Denilson’s accusations in an interview with Saturday Beats. According to the Youtuber, he chose to stay quiet about the situation, saying he didn’t believe Denilson’s claims were significant. He remarked, “I don’t want to talk about anything that has to do with Denilson. It is not important.”
#4. Burna Boy and Speed Darlington
The last on our list of Nigerian celebrity feuds happened in October 2024 when Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy was accused of being behind the arrest of fellow artist Speed Darlington.
Speed Darlington was arrested and held for several days after he posted a video questioning Burna Boy’s ties to American music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is currently facing serious charges related to sexual exploitation. In the video, Darlington implied that Burna Boy may have won his 2021 Grammy through sexual means. He said,
“After Burna Boy posted a photo of him and Diddy that year, Burna won Grammy. Burna Boy, don’t be offended, but how many oils did Diddy use on you before they gave you the Grammy Award?”
For context, 1,000 baby oils were seized by authorities from Diddy’s home earlier this year during a raid. US authorities believe that the products were possibly used for sexual acts and this is what Darlington referenced to. See video below:
This controversial video led to Darlington’s arrest for cyberstalking. He was released after five days in custody upon meeting bail conditions. Sahara Reporters indicated in a report that Burna Boy filed a petition against Darlington. However, the Nigeria Police Force denied that Burna Boy ordered Darlington’s arrest.
After his release, Darlington spoke to fans during an Instagram Live session, stating he had no personal issues with Burna Boy but alleged that the singer played a role in his arrest. He expressed frustration with the police, claiming they treated him unfairly and were still holding his phone.
Darlington said, “Let me just be direct, I have no beef with Burna Boy. Me and Burna Boy are not quarrelling, nor are we enemies. It is the Nigerian Police that did me dirty.” He went on to say that Burna Boy saw him as a “threat” and that he believed he was more successful than the ‘City Boys’ artist, stating, “The amount of effort Burna Boy put into this case… I feel like I’m even more made and successful than him.”
Burna Boy has not given a response yet as of the time of writing.
With that, we have come to the end of our list. Which other Nigerian celebrity feuds happened in 2024? Let us know in the comments section below.
