Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has alleged that soldiers are trying to stop him from entering Osun State as voters go to the polls on Saturday to elect the next governor.
Davido, who is a nephew of the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, made the allegation in a post on his verified X account in the early hours of Saturday.
The singer said he had been informed that soldiers were attempting to prevent him from entering the state, arguing that every Nigerian had the right to move freely within the country.
“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,” Davido wrote.
The claim came hours after the Nigeria Police Force announced a restriction of movement across Osun State as part of security arrangements for the governorship election.
The police said the restriction would begin at midnight on Friday, August 14, and remain in place until 6pm on Saturday, August 15.
The measure is intended to limit movement during voting and help security agencies prevent violence, voter intimidation, ballot snatching and other activities capable of disrupting the election.
Thousands of police officers and other security personnel have been deployed across the state to maintain law and order during the poll.
Davido’s allegation quickly attracted attention on social media because of his prominent role in the campaign of his uncle, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
The singer has been openly involved in Governor Adeleke’s campaign and has used his popularity and social media platforms to mobilise support for the incumbent.
The Osun election is one of the most closely watched off-cycle elections in the country, with Adeleke facing a number of challengers, including the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
The election has generated strong political interest because of the rivalry between the ruling party in the state and the opposition, as well as its possible significance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Davido’s complaint therefore came at a sensitive time, with security agencies seeking to enforce restrictions on movement across the state.
The singer did not state in his post where he was when the alleged attempt to stop him occurred, nor did he identify the soldiers involved.
It was also not immediately clear whether he was eventually allowed to enter the state.
His claim, however, generated a mixed reaction online, with some Nigerians expressing concern over the alleged treatment while others pointed to the movement restriction announced by the police.
Some social media users argued that security personnel could stop or question travellers entering Osun because the restriction applied generally to movement during the election period.
Others, however, suggested that security agencies should not use the restriction to target particular individuals, especially where the person is not involved in any unlawful activity.
Former presidential media aide, Bashir Ahmad, was among those who criticised Davido’s position.
Ahmad described the singer’s reaction as “dramatic” and reminded him that the movement restriction had already been publicly announced by security authorities.
“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.
He added that the constitutional right to freedom of movement did not mean that citizens could disregard lawful security measures introduced to protect the electoral process.
“So the right to freedom of movement does not mean ignoring lawful security measures put in place to ensure a peaceful and credible election,” he said.
Movement restrictions are not unusual during elections in Nigeria, particularly during governorship and presidential elections where security agencies often seek to control the movement of people and vehicles.
The aim is usually to reduce the movement of political thugs, prevent the transportation of weapons and limit activities that could lead to clashes between supporters of rival political parties.
However, such restrictions have sometimes generated complaints from residents and travellers, particularly where people need to move for emergencies or other essential reasons.
The enforcement of the restriction in Osun is expected to be closely watched because of the high political temperature surrounding the election.
The police and other security agencies have been directed to ensure that voters can reach their polling units safely while preventing unauthorised movement that could threaten the peace.
Political parties have also been urged to caution their supporters against violence and other forms of misconduct.
Davido’s involvement in the Osun election has attracted attention beyond the state because of his large following in Nigeria and internationally.
The singer has previously spoken openly about politics and elections, including his support for his uncle and concerns about the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
His latest complaint has added another dimension to the election-day security debate, particularly over the balance between citizens’ freedom of movement and restrictions imposed to protect the electoral process.
As voting continues, attention will now be focused on the conduct of security personnel, compliance with the movement restriction and the ability of authorities to ensure that voters are able to cast their ballots without intimidation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies are expected to ensure that the election is conducted peacefully and that the final result reflects the votes cast by eligible voters.
For now, Davido’s allegation has sparked a fresh debate over the extent to which election security measures should affect individual movement, with supporters and critics offering different interpretations of the restriction.