“Davido Would Have Been Arrested”: Presidency Speaks on Singer’s Actions During Osun Election
- President Tinubu's Special Adviser Temitope Ajayi weighed in on Davido's social media activities during the Osun governorship election
- Ajayi argued that Davido held a position within Governor Ademola Adeleke's campaign structure, making his posts partisan rather than neutral
- The presidential aide warned that several of the singer's tweets could have led to his arrest in countries with stricter laws on unverified political claims
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
President Bola Tinubu's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has declared that Afrobeats superstar Davido would have faced arrest if he made similar social media posts in countries like Rwanda or Ethiopia.
Ajayi made the comments during an interview on Symfoni TV aired on YouTube on August 26, 2026, while responding to questions about the singer's online conduct during the August 15 Osun State governorship election, which was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke, Davido's uncle.
Source: Instagram
Davido's role in the Osun election campaign
According to Ajayi, the singer was far from a passive observer during the election.
He described Davido as an active member of the campaign structure who had a vested interest in the outcome.
"Davido was an active participant in the process. He went all out for his uncle to win the election. He was part of the process and even held a position in the campaign structure," Ajayi said.
He added:
"So he wasn't speaking or he wasn't tweeting out of altruism. All his tweets, all his activities were partisan. He wanted his uncle to win."
Source: Instagram
Presidency's warning on political speech
While acknowledging Nigeria's constitutional guarantee of free speech, Ajayi argued that some of Davido's posts crossed a line, particularly those he said contained unverified claims against senior government officials, including the Senate President and President Tinubu himself.
"If 99% of what Davido says or tweets on social media, in many countries, he won't dare it because he will be picked up — come and provide evidence," he said.
He was direct when asked about specific countries:
"He won't dare all the things that he does on social media in Rwanda or in Ethiopia. In terms of politics? Yes, in terms of politics. Because you don't make reckless claims that you don't have evidence for."
Ajayi further cautioned that unverified political allegations carry serious public safety risks.
"These things are capable of inciting the public into violence. You are making allegations against the Senate President, making allegations against Honourable Faleke, making allegations against the President, tweeting all sorts of blather just because of politics," he said, adding that Nigeria's democratic freedoms "shouldn't be abused."
His remarks came during a wider conversation that also touched on criticisms of the Tinubu administration, poverty in Nigeria, and a controversy involving Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja.
Ajayi denied attacking the Cardinal and offered a clarification, saying:
"Your Eminence, I never intended to be disrespectful. I was never disrespectful. My apologies."
Watch the Presidency speak on Davido's involvement in the Osun election below:
Davido reacts to Davrel’s comments about his actions during Osun election
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Davido actively monitored the 2026 Osun governorship election, calling out INEC over delayed result uploads.
The Afrobeats star reacted to Davrel’s humorous comments about his actions during the election, after the content creator said Davido had been “cooking” INEC and others.
Davido playfully embraced the nickname, replying, “Chef David, come for your recipe,” as fans reacted online.
Source: Legit.ng
