Soldiers trying to prevent my entry into Osun, Davido alleges

Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has alleged that soldiers are attempting to prevent him from entering Osun State as residents prepare to vote in Saturday’s governorship election.

Davido made the claim in a post on his verified X account early Saturday, saying he had been informed that soldiers were seeking to stop him from gaining access to the state.

“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.

The allegation came hours after the Nigeria Police Force announced a restriction of movement across Osun State as part of security measures for the election.

According to the police, the restriction took effect from 12:00 midnight on Friday, August 14, and will remain in place until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

Thousands of police officers and other security personnel have been deployed across the state to maintain law and order during the governorship poll.

Davido, who is a nephew of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, has played an active role in his uncle’s re-election campaign under the Accord Party.

Governor Adeleke is seeking a second term and faces opposition from candidates including the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, among others.

The singer’s allegation generated significant reactions online, with some users arguing that the reported attempt to restrict his movement could be connected to the general election-day security measures.

Others, however, raised concerns over the possibility of security agencies imposing targeted restrictions on the high-profile supporter of the incumbent governor.

Reacting to Davido’s post, former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad described the singer’s claim as “dramatic”, arguing that movement restrictions had already been announced as part of the security arrangements for the election.

“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 and this is a standard security measure during elections anywhere not peculiar to Osun.

“So the right to freedom of movement does not mean ignoring lawful security measures put in place to ensure a peaceful and credible election,” Ahmad wrote.