When Ademola Adeleke entered the 2026 Osun governorship race seeking a second term, one thing was clear: his nephew, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, was not going to remain a silent observer.
From campaign appearances and social-media posts to public exchanges with political figures and calls for intervention over the conduct of the election, the Afrobeats star became one of the most visible personalities around the contest.
Now that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Adeleke the winner, Davido’s role throughout the election has become one of the notable side stories of the Osun 2026 contest.
Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. The governor won by a margin of 66,252 votes.
But long before those figures were announced, Davido had already made his position clear.
Davido Wasn’t Just Supporting His Uncle
Davido’s involvement was hardly limited to showing up at a campaign rally.
As the election drew closer, the singer repeatedly used his X account to comment on developments surrounding the contest and defend Adeleke’s campaign.
He also appeared alongside his uncle during campaign activities, including a rally where the singer danced with Adeleke as supporters gathered ahead of the election.
For Davido, the election was personal. Adeleke is his uncle, and the singer has previously been publicly involved in the governor’s political campaigns.
But in 2026, his involvement went beyond family support.
He became a frequent commentator on the political tensions surrounding the election.
He Took His Message to Trump
One of the biggest moments came when Davido appealed directly to US President Donald Trump and the international community to pay attention to the Osun election.
In his appeal, the singer raised concerns about the conduct of the election and called for efforts to prevent violence and protect the integrity of the process.
The appeal attracted national attention, with Premium Times reporting that Davido’s message to Trump came amid growing concerns surrounding the election.
Davido later said Trump’s representatives had reached out to him, a claim that became another talking point around the election.
His Exchanges With Bashir Ahmad Added Another Layer
The singer also found himself involved in an online exchange with former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad.
Their disagreement centred on the Osun election and Davido’s involvement in the political process.
At one point, Ahmad used South African singer Tyla’s Grammy achievement in an apparent attempt to taunt Davido during their exchange.
The exchange generated its own wave of reactions online, further pushing Davido’s political involvement into the national conversation.
Then Came Hope Uzodimma
Davido also directed his attention towards Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who was involved in the APC campaign in Osun.
The singer appealed to Uzodimma not to allow Osun to become a political battleground ahead of the election.
Uzodimma subsequently responded, reminding Davido that he was not an Osun voter and could not determine the outcome of the election.
The exchange demonstrated how far the election had moved beyond the traditional political arena.
A musician was now publicly addressing a sitting governor over the conduct of an election in another state.
Sowore Also Entered the Picture
Another notable confrontation involved human rights activist and politician Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore criticised Adeleke, prompting a response from Davido.
What followed was a heated exchange between the two men on X, with both sides trading words over Adeleke, his administration and Davido’s involvement in Osun politics.
The confrontation began after Sowore criticised Davido’s uncle.
For Davido, however, the argument was about more than defending a family member. His online interventions increasingly became part of the wider political conversation around the election.
Election Day: Davido Kept the Pressure On
On election day, Davido remained active on social media.
He used his platform to raise concerns about developments in different parts of the state and called the attention of security agencies and other authorities to issues he believed required intervention.
He also made a major claim early on Saturday, alleging that soldiers were attempting to prevent him from entering Osun.
“I’ve been reliably informed that soldiers are trying to prevent me from entering Osun tomorrow,”
Davido wrote in a post on X.
His claim came around the time the Nigeria Police Force had announced restrictions on movement across Osun State during the election.
The singer’s election-day posts continued to attract considerable attention as voting and collation progressed.
He Called on Authorities Over Reported Irregularities
Throughout the voting process, Davido posted about developments he considered concerning and tagged relevant authorities, including security agencies and government officials.
His approach was unusual for a celebrity.
Rather than simply urging his followers to support his uncle, he positioned himself as an observer of events, using his large online audience to amplify claims and draw attention to reported incidents.
That does not mean every allegation he raised was independently established.
But the sheer size of his audience ensured that many of his posts quickly became part of the wider national conversation about the election.
Adeleke Also Raised Security Concerns
Davido was not the only member of Adeleke’s camp to raise concerns during the election.
As collation began, Governor Adeleke appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies deployed to Osun to protect the electoral process.
He alleged that there were attempts to disrupt or interfere with collation centres.
The development added to an already tense election atmosphere, with competing allegations from the political camps.
Then INEC Announced the Result
After the votes were collated across Osun’s 30 local government areas, INEC declared Adeleke the winner.
The Accord Party candidate secured 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji of the APC polled 444,815.
Adeleke therefore retained the governorship by 66,252 votes and secured another four-year term.
And, as the result became clear, Davido’s reaction was emotional.
The singer, who had spent weeks publicly campaigning for his uncle and defending his candidacy, was seen celebrating the victory.
Did Davido Influence the Result?
That is perhaps the biggest question surrounding his role.
There is no objective way to say that Davido’s involvement alone delivered the election to Adeleke.
Elections are determined by votes, and Adeleke’s victory ultimately came from the ballots cast by voters across the state.
However, Davido undoubtedly brought an unusual level of attention to the contest.
With millions of followers and enormous influence among young Nigerians, he gave the election a visibility that extended well beyond Osun.
He also helped keep several issues surrounding the election in the public conversation, particularly among younger social-media users.
His involvement demonstrated how celebrity influence and traditional politics increasingly overlap in Nigeria.
More Than a Celebrity Supporting His Uncle
Davido’s role in the 2026 Osun election may ultimately be remembered as one of the most unusual aspects of the contest.
He campaigned for his uncle, appeared at political events, challenged critics, appealed to political leaders, contacted the international community, raised concerns during voting and remained active until the result was announced.
Whether one views his involvement as family loyalty, political activism or celebrity influence, one thing is difficult to dispute: Davido made himself part of the Osun election story.
And when INEC finally declared Ademola Adeleke the winner, the singer was there to celebrate a victory he had spent weeks openly fighting for.
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