Osun Election: Davido Alleges Soldiers Tried to Stop Him from Entering State

Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has alleged that soldiers are attempting to prevent him from entering Osun State as voters head to the polls for Saturday’s governorship election. Davido, who is a nephew of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, made the claim in a post on his verified X account early Saturday, insisting that no security personnel would stop him from accessing 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 singer did not disclose who gave him the information or identify the soldiers allegedly involved.

Davido’s allegation came hours after the Nigeria Police Force announced a restriction of movement across Osun State as part of security arrangements for the governorship 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. The police also reiterated the ban on the participation of the Amotekun Corps and other non-state security groups in security operations for the election, warning that only security agencies recognised under the constitution are authorised to perform law-enforcement duties in connection with the election. Over 15,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state’s 30 local government areas, with a Deputy Inspector-General of Police coordinating the operation, while police helicopters and drones have also been deployed for aerial surveillance during the election. The Force Public Relations Officer had further disclosed that soldiers would seal roads leading into the state from midnight as part of measures to control movement.

READ ALSO:

• Indonesia Earthquake: Death Toll Rises to 38 as Rescue Teams Battle Landslides, Aftershocks
• Osun Election 2026: Police Allegedly Teargas Voters at Ife RAC Centre, Cart Away Election Materials
• Osun Decides: Over 100 ‘Imported’ Voters Arrested With New PVCs

The singer’s claim generated significant reactions online, with some users arguing that security checks were expected because of the election-day lockdown, while others expressed concern that Davido could be facing a targeted restriction due to his prominent support for the incumbent governor. Reacting to Davido’s post, former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad dismissed the allegation as “dramatic,” pointing to the publicly announced movement restrictions. “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,” Ahmad wrote. Ahmad added: “So the right to freedom of movement does not mean ignoring lawful security measures put in place to ensure a peaceful and credible election.”

Some X users also questioned Davido’s awareness of the movement restrictions. One user, @OgbeniDipo, advised the singer to remain in Lagos to avoid being detained, stating: “You don’t know there is curfew on election day? You went to school nau.” The user added that security agents were enforcing the curfew at multiple locations including Ikire Junction, Gbongan bypass, Odeomu, and Owode Ede. Another X user, @Mz_Tosyn, also questioned Davido’s position, writing: “Him and his audience are not aware of curfew on Election Day or they are pretending not to.”

Davido has been one of the most visible supporters of his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election under the Accord Party. The governor is facing leading challengers, including Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress. Earlier in the week, Davido called on United States President Donald Trump and the international community to monitor the Osun election, expressing concern over reported cases of violence and intimidation. Davido later defended the appeal after some Nigerians questioned why he referred to Trump as his president, explaining that he holds both Nigerian and American citizenship. Davido’s involvement in Osun politics dates back to the 2022 governorship election, when he campaigned for Adeleke and mobilised young voters across the state. There was no immediate public statement from the military confirming Davido’s allegation that soldiers had been instructed to stop him from entering the state.

Osun Election 2026: Police Allegedly Teargas Voters at Ife RAC Centre, Cart Away Election Materials

The governorship election in Osun State took a chaotic turn on Saturday morning as police officers allegedly fired teargas at voters and election officials at a Registration Area Centre (RAC) in Ife East Local Government Area, with reports that election materials were carted away during the confusion. The incident has sparked outrage, with Governor Ademola Adeleke’s campaign council and a member of the House of Representatives demanding an immediate investigation. The incident occurred at Ife East Ward 10, also known as Modakeke Ward 3, where voters, election officials, and corps members had gathered early on Saturday morning to collect election materials and proceed to their respective polling units alongside officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Sources at the scene alleged that officers from the Nigeria Police Force arrived and began firing teargas at the assembled crowd without provocation, causing panic and chaos.

A video circulating on social media captured the chaotic scene, showing police officers at the location while a woman raised an alarm that they were being tear-gassed. In the video, the woman is heard questioning the police action, asking why a police officer would drop tear gas, noting that they had gone with materials, and describing the scene at Modakeke Ward 10 where policemen came to throw tear gas at people with no fight or disruption to warrant such action, while the corps members all ran for their lives. Residents alleged that the disruption led to some election materials being taken away from the centre during the confusion, and described the police action as an attempt to intimidate residents and discourage them from participating in the electoral process. A source explained that the police were using this to intimidate people and create fear so that people would not be able to come out and vote and monitor their votes.

READ ALSO:

• Osun Decides: Over 100 ‘Imported’ Voters Arrested With New PVCs
• Court Dissolves Marriage After Wife Accused of Nose Ring, Ankle Chain, TikTok Videos with Lover
• UK Opens 2026/27 Commonwealth Fellowship Applications for Nigerians – How to Apply

Hon. Bamidele Salam, the member representing Ede North/South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, raised the alarm on Saturday morning and called on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the allegation. Salam shared the video on his social media platforms and urged the police to act immediately, stating that there was an allegation that some of his men in the video just invaded a RAC centre in Ife East Local Government Ward 10, Modakeke ward 3, and fired tear gas to disrupt distribution of election materials at a RAC centre, with the materials allegedly carted away. Salam confirmed to The Whistler that the video and the incident it depicted were authentic. This incident follows earlier allegations by Salam that the Osun State Police Command had engaged in a pattern of harassment and politically motivated arrests of Accord Party leaders and members ahead of the election. Salam had also previously called on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene over what he described as police harassment, intimidation, and persecution of Accord leaders.

The spokesperson of the Imole Campaign Council, Governor Adeleke’s campaign organisation, Pelumi Olajengbesi, corroborated the account and demanded immediate action. In his statement, he said they had received a disturbing report, accompanied by video footage, alleging that Police personnel fired tear gas at persons assembled at the RAC Centre in Ife East Ward 10, Modakeke Ward 3, and they urgently called the attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security authorities to this situation, asking that the circumstances be immediately investigated and appropriate steps taken to ensure calm and allow the electoral process to proceed peacefully. Olajengbesi insisted that the people must be allowed to exercise their right to vote without fear or intimidation and urged residents to remain calm as efforts are made to resolve the situation.

The incident comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State, which has experienced significant pre-election violence. A total of 15,000 police officers were deployed across the state for the election, with a Deputy Inspector-General of Police coordinating the security operation. The police had also deployed helicopters, drones, and Mobile Police personnel to ensure a safe and peaceful election. The Inspector-General had directed that four unarmed personnel be stationed at each of the state’s over 3,700 polling units. However, allegations of partisanship and intimidation have persisted. The Accord Party had previously accused the police of partisan activities, alleging arrests of its members and calling for the removal of the Osun Commissioner of Police. The Imole Campaign Council had also, just a day before the election, urged security agencies to be neutral and professional, citing concerns about police conduct in the lead-up to the poll. At the time of reporting, the Osun State Police Command had not issued an official explanation regarding the alleged use of teargas at the Modakeke RAC or the reported carting away of election materials. The police had earlier dismissed similar allegations of political harassment, insisting that their operations were aimed solely at combating crime.