Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has raised alarm over an alleged attempt by soldiers to prevent him from entering Osun State as voters head to the polls to elect the state’s next governor.
Davido, who is a nephew of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, made the allegation early Saturday in a post on his verified X account, insisting that he would not accept any attempt to restrict his movement.
“I’ve been reliably informed that soldiers are trying to prevent me from entering Osun tomorrow, this won’t happen, every citizen of Nigeria has the right to movement at any point of time,” he wrote.
His complaint comes against the backdrop of a statewide restriction on vehicular and human movement announced by security authorities as part of measures to safeguard the governorship election.
The restriction took effect from midnight on Friday and is expected to remain in place until 6pm on Saturday, with thousands of security personnel deployed across the state.
The development has triggered debate over the balance between citizens’ constitutional freedom of movement and special security measures traditionally imposed during elections.
Davido has been a visible supporter of his uncle’s re-election bid and has actively participated in the campaign for the governor, who is seeking a second term under the Accord Party.
Governor Adeleke is facing a strong field of challengers, including the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Reacting to Davido’s post, former presidential media aide, Bashir Ahmad, described the singer’s complaint as “dramatic”, arguing that the movement restriction had been publicly announced before election day.
“You are just dramatic, @davido. It has been widely announced by the security operators that movement in and around Osun will be restricted from 12 midnight today until 6 pm today due to the election,” Ahmad wrote.
He argued that the restriction was a standard election security measure and should not be interpreted as a denial of citizens’ fundamental rights.
“So the right to freedom of movement does not mean ignoring lawful security measures put in place to ensure a peaceful and credible election,” he added.
Other social media users also challenged Davido’s position, with some pointing to reports of security personnel enforcing the restriction at major entry points and roads across the state.
One user, @OgbeniDipo, cited security checkpoints around Ikire Junction, Gbongan bypass, Odeomu, Akoda and Owode-Ede, warning Davido against attempting to breach the restriction.
Another user, @Mz_Tosyn, questioned whether Davido was unaware of the election-day movement restriction or deliberately ignoring it.
The controversy comes as Osun residents vote in an election being closely watched amid heightened security arrangements, political rivalry and concerns over the need for a peaceful and credible process.
Davido has yet to provide further details on where the alleged attempt to stop him occurred or identify the soldiers involved.