Salawa Abeni Breaks Silence on Kollington Ayinla's Marriage Claim
Waka music legend Salawa Abeni has spoken publicly for the first time about Fuji icon Kollington Ayinla's insistence that she is still his legal wife, pushing back on the narrative in a candid new interview. The 65-year-old singer made her remarks during an interview aired on Oyinmomo TV's YouTube channel on July 18, 2026, more than a year after Kollington first made headlines by describing Abeni as his lawful wife during an appearance on the Teju Babyface Podcast in May 2025.
Abeni's Response to Kollington's Claim
Speaking in the interview, Salawa Abeni did not mince words. 'I indeed had children for him, but I wasn't the one who left,' she said. 'It wasn't a matter of showing off, or stubbornness, or something I did.' She invoked the image of her own mother, who remained committed to one man throughout her life, as a reflection of the values she holds dear. 'My mother didn't have two husbands; she had a rival. She had all her children for my father only. Destiny won't go unfulfilled.'
The Complicated History of Salawa Abeni and Kollington Ayinla
The two musicians share a long and layered history. After Salawa Abeni ended her marriage to the late Lateef Adepoju, founder of Leader Records, in 1986, she went on to marry Kollington. She had two children with Adepoju and three with Kollington Ayinla before their union dissolved in 1994. During their time together, the pair collaborated musically, releasing albums including 'I Love You' (1988) and 'We Are the Children' (1989) under Kollington's record label.
Experience Album Born from Heartbreak
Salawa Abeni confirmed that the emotional weight of that period directly shaped her music. 'When that thing happened, I recorded an album titled Experience,' she shared, describing how the songs captured her state of mind at the time, surrounded by friends who offered food and drink, yet unable to find comfort in any of it. 'That wasn't what my situation needed,' she recalled.
Current Relationship and Family Bond
Despite the public dispute over the nature of their past relationship, Salawa Abeni acknowledged that a bond between her and veteran Fuji singer Kollington Ayinla endures. 'We're still connected because of the children between us,' she said plainly. In 2023, the Waka music legend publicly introduced Rasheed Adahunse, Comptroller and Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Training College, as her husband, a development that drew widespread attention at the time. Kollington Ayinla, for his part, has been known to have several wives. In a 2014 interview with The Nation, he disputed reports that he had taken as many as 15 wives, calling the figure an exaggeration.
Similar Celebrity Marriage Discussions
In related news, Nollywood actress Uche Ogbodo publicly addressed the end of her marriage to Bobby Maris, urging fans to show compassion instead of rushing to judgment. On July 16, she posted on Instagram that she would not disclose details of her failed marriage unless absolutely necessary, emphasising that social media often misleads people into thinking they know the full story. The mother of three explained that her focus is now on raising her children and healing, vowing to move forward with dignity and peace of mind while thanking those who have chosen empathy over criticism.
