Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has said he has no preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections and will not support the All Progressives Congress.
Davido made the remarks during an exclusive interview with News Central TV on Tuesday, while reflecting on his political involvement in the recently concluded Osun State governorship election and his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s decision to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 bid.
“My uncle, immediately he won, came out to declare his support for Tinubu, but for me, I’m not propelled to support anybody. I personally haven’t seen anybody,” he stated.
The singer, however, said his position could change before the 2027 election, although he was categorical that any future presidential choice would not be the APC.
“In the past, yes, I’ve supported Atiku before when we were in PDP, and I supported in 2015 when APC first did the merger; my late uncle Isiaka Adeleke (Serubawon) was part of the APC, I campaigned then,” he said.
“Right now I don’t have a presidential candidate. It might change, but it’s not going to be APC. Everybody should have their choice,” Davido added.
The singer also ruled out seeking elective office, saying the current political system, including the possibility of electoral manipulation, makes a political career unattractive to him.
“With this system? I mean, my own vexing… no be me dey run, see as I dey tweet. I can’t even do this with this system, the high blood pressure that… How can you wake up in the morning knowing that the people want you, and you can get rigged out? It cannot happen anywhere else in the world,” he stated.
Davido said he remained comfortable with his career in music and pointed to his involvement in the Osun election as evidence of the influence that citizens can exercise outside formal political office.
“I’m comfortable with what I’m doing now. My job? Or why am I famous? Music, yeah. I defeated 17 governors with all their power, with all their immunity, with all their escort commanders, with all their DSS, with all their billions. I defeated them with what? Just a phone,” Davido asserted.
On his uncle’s political relationship with the Federal Government, Davido said Governor Adeleke was entitled to make decisions based on what he considered beneficial to Osun State, but maintained that such decisions would not determine his own political position.
“My uncle might have his personal reasons for the gain of the state. I’m sure a governor being in good terms with the president… maybe more allocation. But that’s for the governor to decide. He’s been re-elected,” Davido added.
“For now, I feel like I did what I had to do for the Osun people and for my family. The next day, a lot of people were tweeting at me, trying to rage-bait me. ‘Make sure you do this for the president.’ You can’t come and tell me what to do. You can’t force me to have a presidential candidate. Personally, I don’t want to be involved in it,” he said.
Davido also defended his decision to share the alleged West African Examinations Council result of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo after the governor criticised Adeleke during the Osun election campaign. He rejected calls for an apology.
“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.”
The singer said Okpebholo had left Edo to criticise his uncle in Osun and accused him of questioning Adeleke’s leadership. “Yes, and you came, you left your state, you came to another state. You came in and then started talking that my uncle is a dancer; he is not serious.
“The road to your Government House is not done. My uncle is not serious. First of all, you were not even elected; you were selected.”
Davido’s comments come after his prominent involvement in the Osun governorship election, where he campaigned for Adeleke and advocated for voters and transparent election results. He also said his experience in the election had not changed his decision to stay outside formal politics as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
