Osun Election Tension: Lawyer Urges Davido to Apologise to Okpebholo Over WAEC Result Troll

Osun Election Tension: Lawyer Urges Davido to Apologise to Okpebholo Over WAEC Result Troll

A legal practitioner and author, Timothy Tugbiyele, has called on Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, to tender a public apology to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over a social media post that displayed the governor’s alleged West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result. Tugbiyele made the call in a now-trending video originally uploaded on Facebook on Monday while commenting on the ongoing political exchanges ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election. The controversy has added another layer of tension to an already heated political season, with supporters of both governors trading barbs on social media platforms.

The controversy began when Okpebholo, while campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, mocked Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke—Davido’s uncle—over his well-known love for dancing. The Edo governor 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.” Hours after the governor’s remarks, Davido responded on his verified social media platform by posting what he described as Governor Okpebholo’s WAEC result alongside the governor’s photograph. The document circulating online contained several low grades, including D7 and E8 in some subjects, though its authenticity has not been independently verified, and there has been no official confirmation from WAEC or Governor Okpebholo regarding the certificate. The alleged examination result ignited intense reactions across social media, with many users mocking the governor over the purported grades, while others challenged Davido to also publish Governor Adeleke’s academic credentials if he was genuinely interested in public accountability. One X user, @seguntoogun, wrote: “Davido should post his uncle Ademola Adeleke’s WAEC result too, make we compare.”

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Reacting to the development, Tugbiyele said Davido should not have responded personally to the governor’s remarks, explaining that he watched a video when Governor Okpebholo called the governor of his state, Adeleke, the dancing governor, and the governor’s relation, David Adeleke, replied by publishing the WAEC Secondary School leaving result of Governor Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State. According to the lawyer, although Okpebholo’s alleged result may not have been impressive, it should not have been used to ridicule him, noting that the result is not good enough, but it is possible that the governor did a resit, and they were not aware of that. He maintained that Davido’s publication was inappropriate and crossed a line that should not have been crossed in political discourse. Tugbiyele argued that Governor Adeleke could have responded to his Edo counterpart through official channels instead of allowing Davido to engage him directly, stating that Governor Adeleke would have replied his contemporary governor, or caused one of his workers, maybe a commissioner of information or a special assistant, to reply, not Davido.

The lawyer also stressed that Davido and Okpebholo occupy different positions and should therefore not engage each other on the same level, insisting that David Adeleke and the governor of the state are not in the same social class, not of the same status, and not in the same class. Describing Davido’s post as disrespectful, Tugbiyele appealed to the singer to apologise, saying he thinks what Davido did is disrespectful and he will plead with him to exercise some humility and apologise. He recalled seeing photographs of Davido prostrating before elders, describing him as a well-brought-up Yoruba man who should demonstrate humility and respect for elders, having seen his pictures in time past prostrating, and noting that he is a properly well-brought-up Yoruba boy. Tugbiyele rejected the argument that the exchange should simply be viewed as part of normal political rivalry, stating that he has heard it said by one of the political leaders that everything is fair in politics, but when you are fighting below the belt, when you are insulting, when you disrespect elders, that is not fair in politics. He urged older people and Davido’s elders to caution the singer, adding that political disagreements should not become personal attacks, and emphasised that one does not disrespect elders. He added that Okpebholo should apologise to the governor, noting that he is not saying what Okpebholo did was right to disrespect his uncle, but it should not be an eye for an eye.

The lawyer further argued that poor academic performance at one stage of a person’s life should not be used to define their achievements, drawing from his own experience to illustrate his point. He shared that he had also obtained results that were not good enough but was encouraged by his father, who never called him a dullard and continued to encourage him. He added that Governor Okpebholo had a result that was not good enough but is governor today, and all of that bad result is in the past, concluding that politics does not really have to go to that extent. The controversy comes amid heightened political activity in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with Davido openly supporting Adeleke’s bid for a second term and actively campaigning for his uncle, urging voters to reject violence and intimidation, while also calling on President Bola Tinubu to ensure a free and fair election. The political exchange has also drawn in Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, who predicted Adeleke’s defeat and urged Davido to prepare to sign his uncle as a full-time dancer. Tugbiyele concluded by directly appealing to the singer: “Davido, David Adeleke, please, as a proper Yoruba, please apologise to Governor Okpebholo. God bless you, David. God bless Nigeria.”

Osun Election Tension: Lawyer Urges Davido to Apologise to Okpebholo Over WAEC Result Troll