Osun Decides: Davido accuses soldiers of blocking his entry

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has alleged that soldiers were planning to prevent him from entering Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

The singer raised the alarm in a post shared on his verified X account on Saturday, hours before the restriction of movement across the state took effect.

“I’ve been reliably informed that Soliders are trying to prevent me from entering Osun tomorrow, this won’t happen, every citizen of Nigeria has the right to movement at any point of time,” he wrote.

Davido did not disclose who gave him the information or identify the soldiers allegedly involved.

He also did not state the route through which he planned to enter the state or explain whether security personnel had contacted him directly.

His allegation came amid tight security measures introduced for the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.

The Nigeria Police Force had announced a restriction of movement across Osun from midnight on Friday until 6pm on Saturday.

The police said the measure would allow security agencies to protect voters, election officials and electoral materials during the poll.

Only voters, election officials, security personnel, emergency workers and other authorised individuals would be allowed to move during the restriction period.

The security plan also included the deployment of more than 15,000 police personnel across the state’s 30 local government areas.

A Deputy Inspector-General of Police was assigned to coordinate the operation, while one Commissioner of Police was deployed to each local government area.

Police helicopters and drones were also sent to Osun for aerial surveillance before, during and after the election.

The Force Public Relations Officer had further disclosed that soldiers would seal roads leading into the state from midnight as part of measures to control movement.

Davido’s post quickly attracted attention on social media.

While some users expressed concern that the singer could be facing a targeted restriction, others argued that security checks were expected because of the election-day lockdown.

Reacting to Davido’s claim, former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad accused the singer of creating unnecessary drama around a restriction that applied to members of the public.

“You are just dramatic, @davido. It has been widely announced by the security operators that movement in and around Osun will be restricted from 12 midnight today until 6 pm today due to the election and this is a standard security measure during elections anywhere not peculiar to Osun.

“So the right to freedom of movement does not mean ignoring lawful security measures put in place to ensure a
peaceful and credible election,” Ahmad wrote.

The latest exchange added to the political debate surrounding Davido’s involvement in the Osun election.

Earlier in the week, the singer called on United States President Donald Trump and the international community to monitor the poll.

He expressed concern over reported cases of violence, intimidation and attempts to disrupt the election.

Davido later defended the appeal after some Nigerians questioned why he referred to Trump as his president.

The singer, who was born in Atlanta and raised in Lagos, explained that he holds Nigerian and American citizenship.
Davido has been one of the most visible supporters of his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election under the Accord Party.

His involvement in Osun politics dates back to the 2022 governorship election when he campaigned for Adeleke and mobilised young voters across the state.

Adeleke later defeated the then-governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, to win the election.

In Saturday’s contest, Adeleke is facing leading challengers, including Bola Oyebamiji of the APC and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress.