Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has raised the alarm over an alleged attempt by soldiers to stop him from entering Osun State as voters head to the polls in Saturday’s governorship election.
Davido, who is a nephew of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, made the allegation in the early hours of Saturday in a post on his verified X account, saying he had been informed that soldiers were trying to prevent his entry into the state.
He insisted that he would not accept any such restriction, arguing that every Nigerian has the constitutional right to move freely.
The allegation has injected a fresh dose of drama into an already tense election day in Osun, where security agencies have imposed sweeping movement restrictions as part of measures to prevent violence and disruption during the poll.
The police had announced that movement across the state would be restricted from midnight on Friday, August 14, until 6pm on Saturday, August 15.
The restriction covers the period when voters, electoral officials, party agents and security personnel are expected to be moving around the state for the election.
The development means Davido’s alleged encounter with security personnel could have occurred against the backdrop of the wider election-day lockdown, although there has been no independent confirmation that he was specifically targeted.
Davido has emerged as one of the most prominent celebrity supporters of Governor Adeleke’s re-election bid. In May, he formally joined the governor’s campaign structure as head of youth mobilisation and obtained membership of the Accord Party.
He has also repeatedly campaigned for his uncle, urging voters to return Adeleke to office. Earlier in the campaign, Davido challenged political opponents to allow the election to be decided by voters rather than intimidation or political manoeuvring.
The singer’s involvement has therefore given his latest allegation an added political dimension, coming just hours before voting begins.
The contest pits Adeleke of the Accord Party against APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and other contenders in the keenly watched off-cycle election. The poll was moved from its earlier August 8 date to August 15 to allow for improved logistical preparations.
Security has been a major concern throughout the campaign.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, had earlier met Governor Adeleke and other stakeholders over fears of political violence, while the electoral commission said security personnel deployed for the election would undergo training and take an oath of neutrality.
There have also been earlier allegations from the Adeleke camp of planned arrests and intimidation of Accord officials, while political parties have traded accusations over violence and attempts to manipulate the poll.
Bashir Ahmad Fires Back
Davido’s claim quickly triggered a heated reaction online, with some social media users questioning whether the singer was being singled out, while others argued that the security restrictions applied generally to people entering and moving around Osun on election day.
Former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad took the latter position, describing Davido’s alarm as unnecessarily dramatic.
Ahmad argued that the singer should have been aware of the statewide movement restriction announced ahead of the election and suggested that security checks or restrictions on movement should not automatically be interpreted as an attempt to target him.
He stressed that the constitutional right to freedom of movement does not place anyone above lawful security measures introduced to protect an election and maintain public order.
The controversy now adds another layer to an already closely watched Osun election, with attention likely to remain on whether Davido eventually makes it into the state and what happens at security checkpoints as voting gets underway.
For now, however, Davido’s allegation remains an unverified claim, and there is no confirmed indication from the security authorities that he was specifically ordered to stay out of Osun.
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