Davido Reveals What Other Governors Should Learn From Adeleke’s Victory
Nigeria’s Afrobeats star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has said the re-election of his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, has demonstrated that governors who genuinely serve their people can count on their support during elections.
Davido made the remarks on Tuesday while addressing journalists at his country home following Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 Osun governorship election.
The singer described the election as a tough political contest, claiming that the governor faced a formidable opposition backed by several prominent political figures.
“Let me congratulate my governor for his re-election for the hard-fought battle. Let me not say battle but war, where you have 17 governors, 50 senators, House of Reps, I don’t know how many they were against one man and he came out victorious. God is good,” Davido said.
He attributed Adeleke’s victory largely to the support of Osun voters, praising them for standing behind the governor and protecting their votes during the election.
According to Davido, the overwhelming support for the Adeleke family was emotional, saying he cried several times while witnessing events surrounding the election.
“I can’t remember how many times I cried that day because the love was massive,” he said.
Davido said the outcome should serve as a lesson to governors and political leaders across the country, stressing that people would support leaders who deliver on their promises and genuinely work for their communities.
“My uncle should be an example to all other people out there. It shows all other governors out there that if you work for the people, the people will be with you and God,” he said.
The singer also commended Osun residents for supporting Adeleke despite what he described as attempts to intimidate voters and influence the election through vote-buying.
Adeleke secured a second term after defeating his major challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, in the August 15 poll.
Beyond the election, Davido said he was now prepared to intensify his efforts toward youth and sports development in Osun State.
The singer, who serves as chairman of the Osun State Sports Trust Fund, said he had deliberately delayed some of his initiatives until after the governorship election.
“As chairman of the Sports Trust Fund, I want to do a lot of things but waited for the election to be over,” he said.
Among the initiatives under consideration is the development of a recreation centre equipped with football pitches, swimming pools and basketball courts.
Davido said the facility would provide young people with opportunities to discover and develop their sporting abilities while promoting healthy recreation.
The singer has been one of Adeleke’s most prominent celebrity supporters and actively participated in the governor’s campaign ahead of the election.
With the election concluded, Davido said his attention would now shift towards creating more opportunities for young people in Osun State through sports, recreation and other youth-focused initiatives.
Recall that the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, identified Davido as one of the personalities that played defining roles in the election.
Israel, in a statement issued following the Osun contest, said the singer leveraged his popularity, networks, music, digital platforms and personal credibility to connect Adeleke’s campaign with younger voters.
He said Davido’s involvement helped attract artistes, influencers and young Nigerians to the campaign, creating a broader network of support beyond traditional political structures.
Israel also l contrasted this with the APC’s dependence on governors, senators and former political office holders, questioning their ability to inspire and mobilise younger Nigerians.
“These leaders are important, but we must ask a hard question: how many young Nigerians do they genuinely inspire, mobilise or emotionally connect with?” he asked.
