Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has been urged to apologise to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo after sharing what appeared to be the governor’s West African Examinations Council result on social media.
Legal practitioner and author Timothy Tugbiyele made the call as political tensions rise ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election, where Davido has openly backed his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The controversy began after Okpebholo criticised Ademola Adeleke’s public image and dancing during campaign activities for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, also known as AMBO. The Edo governor questioned whether Osun voters were satisfied with Adeleke’s leadership style.
Davido subsequently responded by posting an alleged WAEC result belonging to Okpebholo on his Instagram Story. The singer did not attach a caption to the post, but it was widely interpreted as a response to the governor’s remarks about his uncle.
Tugbiyele, speaking in a trending video originally posted on Facebook, criticised Davido’s response, arguing that the singer should not have personally engaged the Edo governor in the political exchange.
While acknowledging that the alleged academic result was not impressive, the lawyer said it should not have been used to ridicule Okpebholo. He also suggested that the governor may have retaken the examination, although he noted that he had no confirmation of this.
The lawyer said Ademola Adeleke could have responded directly to Okpebholo or used a government official to address the remarks rather than allowing Davido to enter the dispute. He described the singer’s decision to publish the alleged result as inappropriate and disrespectful.
Tugbiyele appealed to Davido to apologise, stressing that political disagreements should not become personal attacks. He argued that a person’s academic performance at an earlier stage of life should not be used to define their worth, pointing out that Okpebholo is now the governor of Edo State.
The lawyer also urged Davido’s elders to caution him, saying political rivalry should have limits. He acknowledged that Okpebholo’s comments about Adeleke were also inappropriate but insisted that they did not justify what he described as an “eye for an eye” response.
The dispute comes as political activity intensifies in Osun ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with Davido continuing to publicly support Adeleke’s bid for a second term.
