Lawyers representing the late Daddy Lumba’s family have made explosive claims that Akosua Serwaa herself initiated the dissolution of her marriage to the highlife legend years before his death, presenting his drinks back to his family in a customary ceremony.
In a letter that has generated widespread attention across social media platforms, the family’s legal team asserts that Akosua Serwaa first expressed her intention to divorce Daddy Lumba through her lawyers on February 4, 2018. According to the family’s account, she later followed through by presenting the musician’s drinks to his relatives, a traditional gesture signifying the end of their marriage, which Daddy Lumba reportedly acknowledged.
The revelations directly contradict Akosua Serwaa’s current legal position. She’s actively pursuing court declarations recognizing her as Daddy Lumba’s sole surviving spouse and the only person entitled to perform widowhood rites. Her lawyer, William Kusi of Dominion Chambers, maintains that her marriage to the late musician remained legally valid when he passed away on July 26, 2025.
The family lawyers claim that when Akosua Serwaa initially reached out about divorce proceedings in 2018, Daddy Lumba’s legal team at the time called her bluff regarding various allegations she had made. The musician allegedly denied these claims, yet Akosua Serwaa proceeded with the traditional drinks presentation anyway, which the family interprets as her voluntary termination of the marriage.
This version of events presents a dramatically different narrative from what’s emerged in recent court filings. Akosua Serwaa has told the High Court in Kumasi that she and Daddy Lumba married in Germany and remained together until his death, raising three children: Calvin Kwadwo Fosu, now 31, Charlyn Fosu, 24, and Ciara Fosu, 20.
Her current legal battle extends beyond just funeral arrangements. She’s filed an interlocutory injunction seeking to halt all burial preparations, claiming she and her children have been completely excluded from decisions regarding Daddy Lumba’s final rites. The court documents, dated October 2, 2025, name both Kofi Owusu Fosu, head of the Fosu family, and Priscilla Ofori, known as Odo Broni, as respondents.
Odo Broni’s involvement has become particularly contentious. The family acknowledges her as Daddy Lumba’s partner at the time of his death, while Akosua Serwaa’s legal team argues that any recognition of Odo Broni as a widow could jeopardize Akosua Serwaa’s inheritance rights. Under Ghanaian law, a surviving spouse can claim an equal share with children in matrimonial property plus 3/16 of the residue.
The competing narratives raise complex questions about how Ghanaian courts reconcile customary practices with statutory marriage law. While the family asserts that traditional drinks presentation ceremonies carry legal weight in dissolving marriages, Akosua Serwaa’s lawyers would likely argue that only formal court proceedings can legally end a registered marriage.
Victor Kofi Owusu Boahene, another family representative, has responded to the injunction filing by suggesting that funeral preparations will continue. The family appears confident that their legal position, bolstered by what they describe as Akosua Serwaa’s own actions in 2018, will prevail in court.
The timing of these revelations seems strategic. With Akosua Serwaa’s case scheduled to be heard on October 16, 2025, the family’s public release of the letter aims to shape both public opinion and potentially the court’s understanding of the marriage’s history. If the drinks presentation ceremony indeed occurred and was acknowledged by Daddy Lumba, it could significantly impact the legal proceedings.
However, several questions remain unanswered. Why would Akosua Serwaa present drinks to dissolve the marriage in 2018 only to claim seven years later that the marriage remained valid? Did she perhaps change her mind and reconcile with Daddy Lumba after the drinks ceremony? Or does she dispute the family’s account of what that ceremony represented?
The conflicting claims also highlight the complexities many Ghanaian families face when traditional customs intersect with modern legal frameworks. What one party views as a definitive customary divorce, another might interpret as merely a symbolic gesture made during a temporary separation.
For now, the dispute promises to generate intense public interest as both sides prepare for the October 16 court hearing. Daddy Lumba’s December 6, 2025 funeral at Kumasi’s Baba Yara Sports Stadium hangs in the balance, with legal proceedings determining not just who controls burial arrangements but potentially who can rightfully claim status as his widow.
The case serves as a stark reminder that even Ghana’s most beloved cultural icons can’t escape family disputes that mix tradition, law, emotion, and substantial financial stakes. Whatever the court ultimately decides, the public spectacle has already begun overshadowing celebrations of Daddy Lumba’s extraordinary musical legacy.
