Afrobeats star Davido has publicly urged U.S. President Donald Trump and the international community to closely monitor Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, citing fears of violence, intimidation, and electoral interference.
The singer’s appeal, posted on his official X account and headlined “A CALL FOR ATTENTION TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP,” comes just days before the state goes to the polls on August 15, in a contest that carries deep personal significance for the artist.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, Davido’s uncle, is seeking re-election against a field that includes the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam.
In his statement, Davido described mounting unease over the security climate surrounding the vote. He wrote that there were growing concerns about tension and the possibility of violence, intimidation, or disruption of the democratic process, insisting that the people of Osun deserved to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely, peacefully, and without fear.
He went further, urging the United States and the international community to pay close attention to the election and encourage all relevant authorities to ensure that every voter is protected and every vote is respected.
The statement closed on an emphatic note, declaring: “We do not want bloodshed. We do not want intimidation. We want peace, transparency, and a free and fair election.”
This is not the first time the musician has signaled he could draw foreign attention to the contest. Days earlier, during a live online session with comedian Carter Efe, Davido had already warned that he would “involve Trump if anything goes wrong in the Osun election,” a remark that generated widespread reactions on social media, with supporters and critics debating the significance of his remarks and the role of international attention in Nigeria’s democratic process.
The timing of his latest appeal is notable: according to Vanguard, the statement landed as an election town hall organised by Arise Television was underway, amplifying its reach at a moment of heightened public attention.
Davido’s intervention adds a high-profile, internationally recognizable voice to a race that has already drawn scrutiny over its conduct. He has previously used his platform to urge political actors and Osun residents to reject violence, intimidation, and provocation ahead of the poll. So far, election officials in Nigeria have not yet responded to the statement.
With Osun voters set to decide the governorship on Saturday, the singer’s very public bid to internationalize scrutiny of the process, invoking a sitting U.S. president by name, underscores both the stakes of the race for his family and the broader anxieties shadowing the vote.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Davido has publicly appealed to Trump and the international community to monitor Saturday’s Osun governorship election, driven by fears of violence and vote manipulation and by the fact that his uncle, incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, is the one seeking re-election.
Whether this celebrity intervention brings real international scrutiny or simply amplifies political noise, the core issue remains the same: Osun voters deserve a free, safe, and credible election on August 15.
