Afrobeats superstar Davido has opened up about the profound influence of his personal assistant, Lateef Abiola, popularly known as Lati, in a rare and emotional conversation with streamer Carter Efe. During the car-ride chat, Davido described Lati as the foundation of everything he has built, revealing that Lati's loyalty dates back to his childhood.
Lati's Origins in the Adeleke Household
Davido explained that Lati originally worked for his late mother, Veronica Adeleke, as a staff member in the Adeleke household. When his mother passed away, Davido was around 10 years old, and Lati chose to remain close to the family rather than move on. However, Davido revealed that his ex-stepmother eventually forced Lati out of the house.
Despite being the youngest staff member at the time, Lati did not abandon young Davido. Instead, he found ways to support him, sneaking him out in a car at night to visit recording studios whenever Davido's father had gone to sleep.
Davido's Own Words on Lati's Role
In the conversation, Davido said: "Basically, Lati used to work for my mom. So when my mom passed, you know, Lati stayed around. And then when my mom passed, my ex-step-mom chased Lati away from the house. And that time, he was the youngest staff in the whole house. So we could relate. So whenever my dad sleeps, Lati sneaks me out with car, go studio, sneak me with car. At the time, Lati was into music and was a DJ. So then he'll carry me to studio."
These late-night studio runs became the spark that ignited Davido's career. Lati later became his personal assistant and A&R executive at Davido Music Worldwide. His importance was publicly cemented when he served as best man at Davido's 2024 wedding to Chioma, a woman Lati is credited with introducing to Davido while both attended Babcock University.
Fans React to Davido's Revelation
The revelation struck a chord with fans across social media, who praised Lati's loyalty and Davido's openness. One fan, @awosunlea, commented: "Lati is the MVP. you see why he dey good to be loyal. Loyalty pass juju." Another, @gistmilltv_, wrote: "Davido is real, I like how he doesn't hide the feelings.."
Other reactions included @tatashepepper1 saying, "wow..No wonder Davido values Lati so much. Loyalty never goes unnoticed." and @braimohpreshy adding, "Without lati there is no davido. anywhere david dey , check well you go see lati."
Davido's Broader Career and Recent Comments
Over the years, Davido has shown gratitude through business opportunities and luxury gifts, making no secret of the bond between them. Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Davido clarified his support for Portugal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a candid livestream with Carter Efe, explaining that his loyalty was rooted in his close friendship with Cristiano Ronaldo, even showing his private message thread with the captain.
