Edo Govt Rejects Singer Davido Ban After Governor’s Aide Orders Singer Out

 “We don’t want to see you in Edo again” Governor’s aide tells singer Davido as government later says singer is welcome to perform

The Edo State Government has denied banning Afrobeats singer Davido (David Adeleke) from entering or performing in the state, after a senior aide to Governor Monday Okpebholo announced that the singer had been barred from performing in Edo for the remainder of the governor’s administration.

The controversy followed a political disagreement between Davido and Governor Okpebholo after the Edo governor criticised his Osun State counterpart, Ademola Adeleke, who is Davido’s uncle. Davido later shared what appeared to be Okpebholo’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result on Instagram.

“We Don’t Want To See You In Edo Again” Governor’s Aide

The controversy took a new turn on Thursday, August 20, 2026, when Apostle Kassy Chukwu, the Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media to Governor Okpebholo, declared that Davido had been banned from performing in Edo State.

In a video that circulated online, Chukwu told the singer, “You have been banned from coming to Edo State to perform. We don’t want to see you in Edo again.”

He accused Davido of being disrespectful to the governor and his family following the singer’s publication of the alleged WASSCE result.

Chukwu further claimed that Edo youths were angry with Davido and warned against bringing the singer to the state to perform.

He said, “Edo youths are angry. They said they will deal with you if you come. Nobody should bring Davido to perform in the state.”

The statement immediately generated reactions because Chukwu was speaking as a senior aide to the governor, creating the impression that the declaration was an official position of the Edo State Government.

How The Dispute Started

The disagreement can be traced to the political activities surrounding the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election.

Governor Okpebholo travelled to Osun State to campaign for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO. During the campaign, he criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke and mocked his well-known dancing at public events.

Okpebholo said, “Before somebody signs paper, he will dance. Are you not tired? For four years, this man has been dancing. Before he takes breakfast, before he drinks tea, he will dance.”

The comments drew the attention of Davido, who has openly supported his uncle, Adeleke, in the Osun political contest.

Rather than respond only to the governor’s political criticism, Davido took the dispute to social media by sharing what appeared to be Okpebholo’s WASSCE result.

Davido Shares Alleged WASSCE Result

On Friday, August 7, 2026, Davido posted a photograph of what appeared to be Governor Okpebholo’s WASSCE result on his Instagram Story.

Reports on the document showed several grades, including D7 in subjects such as English Language, Commerce, Economics and Christian Religious Studies, while Government was listed as E8 and Mathematics as C5. However, the document has only been reported as an alleged result. Its authenticity has not been independently established, so it would be inaccurate to present the grades as a confirmed academic record of the governor.

The post was widely interpreted as Davido’s response to Okpebholo’s comments about his uncle.

The singer later defended his decision and rejected calls for an apology.

“I’m Not Going To Apologise” Singer Davido

In an interview with News Central published on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Davido said he had no reason to apologise to the Edo governor.

He said, “I’m not going to apologise. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just telling people of the state the results their governor has.”

Davido also criticised the condition of the road leading to the Edo State Government House and suggested that he and others would return to confront the governor politically when the time came for his re-election.

His refusal to apologise appeared to further increase tensions between him and the governor’s camp.

Edo Government Rejects The Alleged Ban

However, on Friday, August 21, 2026, the Edo State Government distanced itself from Chukwu’s declaration.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, said the government did not ban Davido from entering or performing in Edo State.

Afegbua said, “Our enemies are at it again; we did not ban Davido from entering Edo State. The proclaimer of that ban is an enemy of Edo State; an impostor, and a fraud.”

The commissioner said the government dissociated itself from what he described as “spiteful behaviour” and stressed that Edo State was open to people regardless of their political affiliations.

He added, “As a matter of fact, should Davido intend to perform in Edo State in future, the state will be willing to collaborate and partner with him.”

The government also described Davido as one of its “illustrious sons”, noting that his late mother hailed from Edo State.

Afegbua said, “Davido is one of our illustrious sons, whose mother hails from Edo State; he’s exemplary, and we are pleased to associate with him.”

Okpebholo Distances Himself From The Ban

By Saturday, August 22, 2026, reports indicated that Governor Okpebholo had also dismissed the claim that Davido was barred from entering or performing in Edo.

The governor’s position, as reported, is that the disagreement arising from the Osun election was political and not a personal matter.

This means the widely circulated claim that “Edo Governor Bans Davido” does not accurately reflect the latest position of the state government.

Rather, what happened was that a senior governor’s aide announced a ban on Davido on August 20, while the government subsequently rejected the announcement and said the singer remained welcome in the state.

Reactions Supporting Davido

The controversy has divided public opinion.

Some Davido supporters argued that the singer had the right to respond after Governor Okpebholo publicly criticised his uncle. They said Okpebholo should expect a response if he chose to make comments about a member of Davido’s family during an election campaign.

Others argued that an entertainer should not be threatened with a state-wide performance ban simply because of a political disagreement.

Israel DMW, a close associate of Davido, strongly rejected the purported ban, saying, “No man on this planet earth can ban Oga from Edo, his maternal home.”

Supporters also questioned whether a governor’s aide had the authority to impose such a restriction without a formal government decision.

Some Nigerians further criticised the threat that Edo youths would allegedly “deal with” Davido if he visited the state, arguing that political disagreements should not lead to threats against an individual.

Critics Accuse Davido Of Going Too Far

However, Davido’s actions also attracted criticism.

Some Nigerians argued that although Okpebholo had criticised Ademola Adeleke, Davido should have challenged the governor’s political arguments rather than publishing what appeared to be his academic record.

Critics said bringing the alleged WASSCE result into the dispute shifted the argument from politics to personal attacks.

A legal practitioner, Timothy Tugbiyele, also called on Davido to apologise, arguing that the singer should not have personally responded to Okpebholo’s comments about his uncle.

Others questioned the decision to publish an alleged examination result without establishing its authenticity. They argued that public figures should be careful when sharing documents that could affect another person’s reputation.

Critics Question The Governor’s Camp

The governor’s camp has also faced criticism.

Some Nigerians said Chukwu’s declaration was too extreme and questioned why a political disagreement should result in an announcement that an entertainer was not welcome in the state.

Others argued that threatening that youths would “deal with” Davido was irresponsible and could create unnecessary tension between supporters of the singer and the government.

The Edo Government’s own decision to distance itself from the declaration has strengthened those questions.

The conflicting statements have also created confusion over whether Chukwu acted independently or whether he believed he was speaking on behalf of the governor’s administration.

In conclusion, the Davido and Okpebholo controversy has moved from a political argument in Osun State to a national debate over the limits of celebrity influence, political criticism and the conduct of public officials.

Davido responded to Governor Okpebholo’s criticism of his uncle by sharing an alleged WASSCE result of the Edo governor and has maintained that he has nothing to apologise for.

On August 20, Governor Okpebholo’s aide, Apostle Kassy Chukwu, announced that Davido was banned from performing in Edo for the rest of the administration. But the Edo State Government rejected the claim the following day and said Davido was still welcome to enter and perform in the state.

Therefore, the accurate story is not that Governor Okpebholo officially banned Davido, but that a senior aide announced a purported ban which the Edo State Government subsequently disowned. The episode has left both sides facing criticism, while the larger political disagreement between Davido and the governor continues to attract public attention.

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