Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has publicly distanced himself from comments made by one of his aides in response to Davido’s recent appeal for a peaceful governorship election in Osun State, insisting that the remarks did not reflect his views or those of the APC campaign council.
The governor said he neither authorised his aide, Ambrose Nwogwugwu, nor anyone else to respond to the Afrobeats star after Davido urged him, as Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and the APC Osun Governorship Campaign Council, to use his influence to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election on August 15.
Nwogwugwu had earlier described Davido’s appeal as “emotional blackmail” and advised the singer to direct his message to Osun voters, who would ultimately decide the outcome of the election.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Oguwike Nwachuku, Governor Uzodimma made it clear that the aide spoke in a personal capacity and not on behalf of his office or the APC campaign council.
The governor also sought to calm tensions by reaffirming his relationship with Davido, who is married into his family.
“Davido remains my son,” Uzodimma said.
He explained that although both he and Davido would be present in Osun during the election period, neither of them was eligible to vote in the state. According to him, his presence would be strictly in his capacity as a senior APC leader supporting the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and monitoring the electoral process.
Uzodimma noted that it is common in a democratic system for political leaders to campaign for their party’s candidates in states where they are not registered voters, adding that canvassing for votes is a legitimate aspect of electoral competition.
Reaffirming the APC’s commitment to a peaceful poll, the governor said the party would continue to campaign lawfully while respecting the wishes of the electorate.
“My respect for him and the people of Osun State is not negotiable,” he said.
He urged Davido, Osun residents and the general public to disregard Nwogwugwu’s earlier remarks, describing them as personal opinions that should not be interpreted as the official position of either the governor or the APC campaign council. Uzodimma added that the clarification was necessary to prevent misinformation and avoid unnecessary political tension ahead of the governorship election.
