Davido: Dangote and Akpabio Asked Me to Delete My Tweets

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, has revealed that prominent political and business figures like Senate President Godswill Akpabio and billionaire Aliko Dangote contacted him to remove his viral posts during the Osun State governorship election.

In an interview with News Central TV on Tuesday, Davido shared the pressure he faced behind the scenes while monitoring the election.

He claimed that political rivals spent huge amounts of money, estimating that over ₦110 billion was brought into Osun to sway the election results.

“I just confirmed today. They spent N110 billion. I’m coming from somewhere where we had an insider who was sending us… If you see the cash these people brought in. If they had gotten away with that election, Nigeria is finished. Because the blueprint for election will now be violence and money,” he said.

Public Support Over Money

Looking back at his family’s approach, the singer said they depended on public support and vigilance instead of financial offers at polling stations.

“We didn’t spend a dime on election day. All we could do was just pray that these people take their money and vote for us,” he explained.

“It got to a point where it was the Osun people that were beating the people that were trying to seize ballots. People are tired,” he added.

While discussing the calls he received as the results came in, Davido mentioned he ignored requests to take down his posts on X (formerly Twitter), where he was sharing polling unit results and delays.

“I heard the Senate President was trying to call the collation centre… They were calling me to delete. I said sorry o. You guys have literally just gone against my uncle… I can’t delete anything. Uncle Aliko called me too. I said, “Uncle, I’m not deleting until the INEC announcement,” he said.

A Lesson for Politicians

Davido believes that his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory, shows that popular support can overcome financial and political power.

“My uncle should be an example to all other government officials and governors. When you stand by the people, the people will stand by you,” he stated.

Davido’s role in Osun State politics comes from his strong family connections in the area. His late uncle, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, known as “Serubawon,” was the first civilian governor of Osun State in 1992. His uncle, Ademola Adeleke, is the current governor.