Iyabo Ojo explains why she gave ex-husband prominent role at daughter’s wedding
Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo has explained why she ensured her former husband, Ademidun Ojo, played a significant role during their daughter Priscilla’s wedding, saying their personal differences should never come between a father and his child.
Speaking during an appearance on The Morayo Show on Monday, the actress said she intentionally set aside past grievances because she wanted to break what she described as unhealthy family patterns and give her children a better example.
Her comments come months after the lavish wedding of her daughter, Priscilla Ojo, to Tanzanian singer Juma Jux, an event that attracted celebrities and generated widespread discussion on social media. One of the talking points from the ceremony was the active presence of her ex-husband despite their divorce.
Responding to a question from the programme’s host, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, Ojo said she believed parents have a responsibility to prevent painful family experiences from being passed on to the next generation.
According to her, she refused to allow the breakdown of her marriage to affect her children’s relationship with their father.
“I don’t know, there’s something called ancestral curses. And we Africans believe in it. Christians also. I believe that if you do not want something to continue, you have to be able to break it,” she said.
The actress revealed that her own upbringing influenced her decision, explaining that her parents were separated and that she was determined her children would not experience similar emotional burdens.
“So I made up my mind that whatever situation had happened, because my dad and my mum were also not together, every mistake they had made that I have made, my children will not make it.
“So I had to put aside what I felt, my differences, and play my part. That’s why I said I have paid the price for her to succeed and for her to be happy in her marriage,” she added.
Ojo stressed that regardless of the circumstances surrounding their separation, Ademidun Ojo remains Priscilla’s father and deserved to witness one of the most important milestones in his daughter’s life.
“Her father is not dead. He’s alive. So why can’t he be there? He didn’t wrong her. Me and him fell out. It has nothing to do with her.
“I made the choice to marry him. So whatever is going on between me and him is between me and him. It shouldn’t extend to my children,” she said.
The actress also addressed public perception of her parenting style, dismissing claims that she was excessively strict with her children. She acknowledged being firm while they were growing up but said they later came to understand the reasons behind her approach.
Iyabo Ojo married Ademidun Ojo in 1999 when she was 21 years old. Their union produced two children, Festus Oladunjoye Ojo and Priscilla Ajoke Ojo, before the marriage ended in divorce in 2001.
Priscilla and Juma Jux held multiple wedding ceremonies in Nigeria and Tanzania in 2025, with the celebrations drawing widespread attention across the entertainment industry.
The couple later announced they were expecting their first child before welcoming a baby boy, Rakeem Ayomide Mkambala, in Canada in August 2025. Since becoming a mother, Priscilla has continued to share updates on her postpartum journey, fitness routine and family life with her followers on social media.
