The escalating feud between Afrobeats superstar Davido and Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo took a more dangerous turn on Thursday after a senior government aide declared the singer “banned” from performing in the state, the state of origin of his mother, Dr Veronica Imade Adeleke.
The Okpebholo aide, Apostle Kassy Chukwu, Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media to the governor, issued the declaration in a video published by Peniel TV International in Benin City with a warning that Davido could face physical assault if sighted at an airport.
“You have been banned from coming to Edo State to perform. We don’t want to see you in Edo again,” Chukwu said.
The aide said the purported ban would remain in force for the rest of Okpebholo’s administration and warned event organisers against inviting Davido to perform anywhere in Edo.
However, it was not immediately clear whether Chukwu’s declaration represented an official decision of the Edo State Government or his personal reaction to the controversy. No executive order, security directive or regulatory notice backing the ban had been made public at the time of filing this report.
Aide threatens hostile reception
Chukwu accused Davido of disrespecting Okpebholo, insulting members of the governor’s family and failing to show proper regard for an elder.
He also claimed that Edo youths were angry with the singer and issued a disturbing warning about what might happen if Davido returned to the state.
“If we catch you, if we see you for airports, go tell boys make them use slap take remove your teeth for you,” the aide said in Pidgin English.
The violent language in the viral video has raised concerns online, with critics arguing that a government appointee should not appear to encourage attacks on a citizen, regardless of the intensity of a political disagreement.
Chukwu further disputed the authenticity of the examination document posted by Davido and warned the singer against making further comments about the governor. He also declared that Okpebholo did not associate with cultists, although Davido’s reported comments did not publicly identify the governor as one.
How the feud began
The quarrel originated during the campaign for the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
Okpebholo travelled to Osun to campaign for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. During the campaign, he mocked Governor Ademola Adeleke—Davido’s uncle—over his frequent dancing at public functions and questioned his seriousness as a leader.
“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,” Okpebholo said.
Davido responded by uploading what appeared to be Okpebholo’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination result to his Instagram Story. The singer did not attach a caption, but the timing of the post was widely interpreted as a direct response to the governor’s attack on Adeleke.
The authenticity of the document has not been independently established.
Speaking later during an interview with News Central, Davido refused to apologise for the post.
“I’m not going to apologise. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just telling people of the state the results their governor has,” he said.
Davido also criticised Okpebholo for leaving Edo to campaign in another state while attacking its sitting governor. He questioned Okpebholo’s electoral mandate, accused him of neglecting infrastructure around the Edo Government House and suggested that the governor did not understand what it meant to win an election.
The singer’s comments, particularly his assertion that Okpebholo was “selected” rather than elected and his reference to the governor’s children, appear to have further inflamed the dispute.
Israel DMW rejects purported ban
Davido’s associate, Israel DMW, swiftly dismissed Chukwu’s declaration, insisting that no individual had the authority to prevent the singer from entering Edo State.
In a fiery social-media response, Israel questioned Chukwu’s standing to speak for Edo people and described the state as Davido’s maternal home.
“No man on this planet Earth can ban Oga from Edo, his maternal home,” he wrote, urging the public to disregard the aide’s statement.
Israel’s response added another layer to the controversy, shifting the debate from the original Osun campaign dispute to questions about identity, belonging and who has the authority to speak for Edo residents.
