President Bola Tinubu's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has said that Afrobeats superstar Davido would have faced arrest in countries like Rwanda or Ethiopia for his social media posts during the Osun State governorship election. Ajayi made the remarks during an interview on Symfoni TV, aired on YouTube on August 26, 2026, responding to questions about Davido's online conduct during the August 15 election, which was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke, Davido's uncle.
Davido's Role in the Osun Election Campaign
Ajayi described Davido as an active participant in the campaign, not a passive observer. He stated that the singer had a vested interest in the outcome, having gone all out to support his uncle's victory.
“Davido was an active participant in the process. He went all out for his uncle to win the election. He was part of the process and even held a position in the campaign structure,” Ajayi said. He added: “So he wasn't speaking or he wasn't tweeting out of altruism. All his tweets, all his activities were partisan. He wanted his uncle to win.”
Presidency's Warning on Political Speech
While acknowledging Nigeria's constitutional guarantee of free speech, Ajayi argued that some of Davido's posts crossed a line, particularly those containing unverified claims against senior government officials, including the Senate President and President Tinubu himself.
“If 99% of what Davido says or tweets on social media, in many countries, he won't dare it because he will be picked up — come and provide evidence,” he said. When asked about specific countries, Ajayi was direct: “He won't dare all the things that he does on social media in Rwanda or in Ethiopia. In terms of politics? Yes, in terms of politics. Because you don't make reckless claims that you don't have evidence for.”
Ajayi further cautioned that unverified political allegations carry serious public safety risks. “These things are capable of inciting the public into violence. You are making allegations against the Senate President, making allegations against Honourable Faleke, making allegations against the President, tweeting all sorts of blather just because of politics,” he said, adding that Nigeria's democratic freedoms “shouldn't be abused.”
Broader Conversation and Clarification
His remarks came during a wider conversation that also touched on criticisms of the Tinubu administration, poverty in Nigeria, and a controversy involving Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja. Ajayi denied attacking the Cardinal and offered a clarification, saying: “Your Eminence, I never intended to be disrespectful. I was never disrespectful. My apologies.”
Davido had earlier reacted to Davrel’s humorous comments about his actions during the election, after the content creator said Davido had been “cooking” INEC and others. Davido playfully embraced the nickname, replying, “Chef David, come for your recipe,” as fans reacted online.
