Apostle Kassy Chukwu, Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, on Thursday, August 20, 2026, declared in Benin City that Nigerian singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, would not be welcome to perform in Edo State for the remainder of Okpebholo’s administration.
Chukwu made the declaration in a video published by Peniel TV International Benin City, escalating the increasingly public disagreement between Davido and the Edo governor.
Also read: Adeleke urges healing after Osun re-election
“You have been banned from coming to Edo State to perform. We don’t want to see you in Edo again,” Chukwu said.
The aide said the decision followed Davido’s refusal to apologise for remarks and a social media post involving Okpebholo during the campaign for the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
The dispute began after Okpebholo travelled to Osun State to campaign and criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke, Davido’s uncle, including comments about Adeleke’s dancing and conduct as governor.
Davido responded by sharing what appeared to be Okpebholo’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination result on his Instagram Story.
The singer later defended the decision during an interview, maintaining that he had no reason to apologise.
Davido argued that Okpebholo had left Edo to campaign against his uncle and questioned why the governor was involving himself in another state’s election rather than concentrating on his own administration.
The controversy intensified as both sides continued to defend their positions, with Chukwu now taking the dispute into Edo’s entertainment space.
The governor’s aide accused Davido of making disrespectful comments about Okpebholo and his family. He also challenged the authenticity of the academic document shared by the singer, describing it as allegedly manipulated.
Chukwu went further by warning that Davido could receive a hostile reception if he returned to Edo State.
“Edo youths are angry,” he said, adding that some residents had expressed opposition to the singer being brought into the state to perform.
The comments have generated renewed attention online, particularly because Davido is one of Nigeria’s most prominent Afrobeats performers and regularly headlines major concerts and entertainment events across the country.
However, Chukwu’s declaration, as reported, came from the governor’s aide. There is no indication in the material provided that Governor Okpebholo personally issued a formal executive order banning Davido from entering Edo State.
The distinction is significant because a statement by a political aide is not necessarily equivalent to a formally documented state government directive.
The controversy also comes against the backdrop of Davido’s close relationship with the Adeleke family and his visible support for his uncle during the Osun election campaign.
Okpebholo’s intervention in the Osun contest placed him directly in conflict with Davido, who responded publicly rather than keeping the disagreement within conventional political channels.
For now, the Davido ban in Edo remains the latest and most dramatic development in the dispute, with neither side appearing ready to retreat.
Also read: Adeleke urges healing after Osun re-election
The episode also illustrates how quickly political disagreements involving public figures can spill into Nigeria’s entertainment industry, particularly when social media turns private criticism into a highly visible public confrontation.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
