Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has injected fresh excitement into the ongoing Osun State governorship election with a bold declaration that his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, is leading the race.
In a post circulating on social media during Saturday’s vote collation, Davido wrote: “Shame APC, we are winning Osun, no be Edo.” The statement was widely interpreted as a confident message to supporters of the Accord Party candidate and a direct jab at the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The singer has been one of the most prominent celebrity supporters of Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign. His intervention has ensured that the Osun contest continues to attract attention far beyond the state, particularly because of the fierce political rivalry between Adeleke and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji.
However, while Davido's declaration reflects confidence within the Adeleke camp, the election remains a closely watched contest and the final outcome is determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not by early projections or social-media declarations.
As counting and collation progressed on Saturday, available results showed Adeleke maintaining an early advantage in several stages of the process. Dataphyte, using results uploaded to INEC’s IReV platform, reported that Adeleke had 52.75 per cent of the votes recorded from 2,186 of Osun’s 3,763 polling units, while Oyebamiji had 44.36 per cent at that stage. The figures were explicitly described as incomplete and subject to further collation.
The race has nevertheless been far from a walkover. Earlier results from some polling units and wards showed the APC candidate taking leads in particular areas, underscoring the competitive nature of the election. Reports also indicated that the two major contenders were separated by a relatively narrow margin as more results were uploaded.
The stakes are particularly high for Governor Adeleke, who is seeking another term after winning the 2022 governorship election. This year's election is being contested under a different political arrangement, with Adeleke running on the Accord Party platform after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party.
For the APC, the election represents an opportunity to regain control of Osun State, while the Adeleke camp has presented the contest as a referendum on the governor's administration and his political standing across the state.
Davido's reference to Edo also adds a political dimension to his statement. The phrase “Osun no be Edo” appears to be a warning against assuming that developments from another state's political contest would automatically be replicated in Osun. It also reflects the intense political mood surrounding the election and the confidence of the governor's supporters.
Meanwhile, the collation process has attracted heightened scrutiny. Governor Adeleke has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that votes are protected during the collation process, while also alleging that there were attempts to manipulate official results—claims that have become part of the wider political tension surrounding the election.
Davido has similarly urged vigilance and questioned reports circulating on social media, reportedly calling on Nigerians to disregard purported APC election results that were not officially verified.
With voting completed across the state and results still being collated, every polling unit, ward and local government figure remains significant.
For now, Davido is celebrating what he believes is an Adeleke advantage. But until INEC completes the collation and formally declares the winner, the political battle remains unfinished.
One thing, however, is already clear: Osun 2026 has become a fiercely contested political showdown—and Davido has made it clear that he is firmly in his uncle's corner.
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