A legal practitioner and author, Timothy Tugbiyele, has urged Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, to apologise to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over a social media post in which the singer shared the governor’s alleged West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result.
Tugbiyele made the appeal in a video posted on Facebook on Monday while commenting on the political exchanges surrounding the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
The controversy began after Governor Okpebholo, while campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, mocked Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke over his frequent dancing.
The Edo governor said, ‘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.’
Shortly after the remarks, Davido, who has been actively supporting his uncle Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign, shared what appeared to be Okpebholo’s WAEC result on his Instagram Story without any caption.
Reacting to the development, Tugbiyele said Davido’s response was inappropriate and should have been handled differently.
‘I watched a video when Governor Okpebholo called the governor of my state, Adeleke, the dancing governor. And the governor’s relation, David Adeleke, replied by publishing the WAEC Secondary School leaving result of Governor Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State,’ he said.
While acknowledging that the alleged examination result was not impressive, the lawyer argued that it should not have been used to ridicule the governor.
‘The result is not good enough, but it’s possible. The governor did a resit. We are not aware of that, but I think Davido, David Adeleke’s publication is inappropriate,’ he said.
According to Tugbiyele, Governor Adeleke could have responded to Okpebholo through official government channels rather than allowing a family member to engage in the exchange.
‘Governor Adeleke, Ademola Adeleke, would have replied his contemporary governor, or caused one of his workers, maybe a commissioner of information or a special assistant, to reply. Not Davido, David Adeleke,’ he said.
He further argued that Davido and Governor Okpebholo occupy different positions in society and should not engage each other in that manner.
‘David Adeleke and the governor of the state, they are not in the same social class. They are not of the same status. They are not in the same class,’ Tugbiyele said.
Describing Davido’s action as disrespectful, the lawyer appealed to the singer to apologise.
‘I think what Davido did is disrespectful and I will plead with him, he should exercise some humility and apologise,’ he said.
Tugbiyele added that he had previously seen photographs of Davido showing respect to elders.
‘I’ve seen his pictures in time past, prostrating. He’s a properly well-brought-up Yoruba boy,’ he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that the exchange should simply be accepted as part of politics.
‘I have heard it said by one of the political leaders that everything is fair in politics. No, when you are fighting below the belt, when you are insulting, when you disrespect elders, that is not fair in politics,’ he said.
The lawyer urged Davido’s elders to advise him, stressing that political disagreements should not become personal attacks.
‘You do not disrespect elders. He should apologise to Okpebholo. I’m not saying what Okpebholo did is right, to disrespect his uncle, but it should not be an eye for an eye,’ he said.
Tugbiyele also argued that poor academic performance should not define an individual’s future, drawing from his own experience.
‘I’ve had results that are not, I mean, results not good enough. But one of the things that has kept me going is that I had a father who never called me a dullard. He continued to encourage me,’ he said.
He added, ‘So, oh, Governor Okpebholo had a result that was not good enough. He’s governor today. All of that, the bad result is in the past. Politics does not really have to go to that extent.’
Concluding his remarks, Tugbiyele made a direct appeal to the singer.
‘Davido, David Adeleke, please, as a proper Yoruba, please apologise to Governor Okpebholo. God bless you, David. God bless Nigeria,’ he said.
The comments come amid heightened political activity ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, where Davido has remained an outspoken supporter of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s bid for a second term.