The AAC presidential candidate escalates a social media clash with the Afrobeats star over criticism of Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke
The political tension surrounding Saturday’s Osun State governorship election spilled into a sharp social media exchange on Friday, August 14, 2026, after African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore launched a fresh attack on Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke in response to comments by Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.
Also read: Davido calls Sowore arindin
The exchange began after Sowore criticised the governor’s administration and described the Osun State capital, Osogbo, as lacking adequate infrastructure.
Davido, who is Governor Adeleke’s nephew, responded by calling the activist “arindin”, a Yoruba expression commonly used as an insult for someone regarded as foolish.
Sowore subsequently turned the insult back on Davido, directing a lengthy and highly critical response at the singer’s uncle.
“The real arindin is your uncle, @AAdeleke_01,” Sowore wrote in a post on X, referring to Governor Adeleke.
Sowore then questioned Adeleke’s educational history, alleging that the governor returned to obtain an equivalent of a General Educational Development certificate after serving as a senator.
The allegation has been presented by Sowore as part of his broader criticism of Adeleke’s political record.
It should be noted, however, that the claim is disputed and has not been independently established by the sources reviewed for this report.
The AAC candidate also criticised Adeleke’s political relationship with President Bola Tinubu, alleging that the governor’s support for Tinubu was motivated by political interests.
Sowore argued that Adeleke’s political decisions were connected to what he described as the Adeleke family’s desire to retain influence over Osun State.
He further accused political elites of being “oppressive, corrupt, incompetent, and entitled”, while predicting that Nigerians would eventually demand change.
The confrontation comes less than 24 hours before Osun voters are scheduled to elect their governor.
Sowore had intensified his criticism of Adeleke during a television appearance on Thursday, where he questioned the governor’s leadership and claimed that members of the Adeleke family exercised substantial influence over the administration.
Sowore alleged that Adeleke was not fully in control of the state government and claimed that the governor’s sister and elder brother, Adedeji Adeleke, were influential in the running of the state. Those claims have not been independently substantiated.
He also challenged the administration’s infrastructure claims, saying he had not seen the scale of road development being attributed to the government.
The remarks prompted Davido’s brief but pointed response, turning what had initially been a political criticism into a highly personal public exchange between one of Nigeria’s most prominent entertainers and a leading opposition politician.
The Sowore Davido clash has since attracted considerable attention online, with social media users divided between supporters of the governor and those backing Sowore’s criticism.
The controversy also reflects the increasingly personal tone surrounding the Osun election, which has been marked by competing claims over governance, security and political influence.
Davido has previously used his public platform to comment on political developments involving his family and Osun State.
His intervention this time was particularly notable because it directly followed criticism of a sitting governor who is also a close relative.
For Sowore, the exchange has provided another opportunity to press his wider argument that Osun needs a different political direction.
For Adeleke’s supporters, however, the criticism comes at a politically sensitive moment, with the governor seeking another mandate at Saturday’s election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the governorship poll for August 15, 2026, with Adeleke among the candidates seeking to lead the state for another term.
The heated exchange between Sowore and Davido therefore arrives against a backdrop of intense final-day campaigning, as political parties seek to consolidate support before voting begins.
Also read: Sowore warns state police could threaten 2027 election
With less than a day to the election, the social media confrontation has added an unusually personal dimension to an already competitive political contest, while shifting attention from policy arguments to the public identities and political loyalties of two influential figures.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
