Afrobeats star Davido has revealed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote were among prominent figures who allegedly contacted him during the Osun governorship election and asked him to remove social media posts about the exercise.
The singer made the claim during an interview with News Central TV on Tuesday, while discussing his involvement in monitoring the election and the pressure he said his team faced as results were being collated.
Davido also alleged that more than N110 billion in cash was brought into Osun State in an attempt to influence the election. He said information from an insider convinced him that large sums were being deployed during the poll.
“I just confirmed today. They spent N110 billion,” he said, adding that he believed such a model of electoral spending could encourage violence and undermine Nigeria’s democracy if allowed to continue.
The singer said his family’s campaign team did not distribute money at polling units on election day, relying instead on voters and public support. He also claimed that some Osun residents confronted individuals allegedly attempting to interfere with the voting process.
Davido said the pressure intensified as he posted updates on X, formerly Twitter, about polling unit results and developments during the collation process. According to him, he was contacted by senior political and business figures who wanted some of his posts taken down.
“I heard the Senate President was trying to call the collation centre… They were calling me to delete. I said sorry o,” Davido said. He claimed Dangote also contacted him and that he refused to remove the posts until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially announced the result.
The singer described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory as evidence that voters can overcome financial and political influence when they remain determined to make their voices heard. “When you stand by the people, the people will stand by you,” he said.
Davido has taken an active interest in Osun politics because of his family’s long-standing political connections in the state. His late uncle, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, was the first civilian governor of Osun State in 1992, while his uncle Ademola Adeleke secured re-election in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
