FACT-CHECK: Claim That Edo State Government Banned Davido From Entering or Performing in the State Is False!
BY: Sonaike Peter
Claim:
A viral claim alleged that Nigerian Afrobeats singer, David Adeleke, best referred to as Davido, had been banned from entering or performing in Edo State for the remainder of Edo State Governor’s tenure, Monday Okpebholo.
Verdict:
False.
Full Text:
A claim that the Edo State Government had banned Afrobeats singer David Adeleke (Davido) from entering or performing in the state went viral on Friday, August 21, 2026.
The viral claim followed a video in which one Apostle Kassy Chukwu, identified as the Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, stated Davido would not be allowed to perform in the state for the remainder of the governor’s tenure.
“You have been banned from coming to Edo State to perform. We don’t want to see you in Edo again,” Kassy Chukwu said.
Reports of the alleged ban subsequently generated reactions across social media platforms with some people questioning the authority of the Edo State Government to sanction the ban.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica gathered that the alleged restriction and the statement announcing the ban came from an aide to Governor Okpebholo, rather than from an official executive order or formal policy of the Edo State Government.
Available reports also found no indication that Governor Okpebholo personally issued an order barring Davido from the state
Reacting, the Edo State Government dismissed the claim, describing it as false.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, said on Friday, August 21, that the government had not banned Davido from entering or performing in Edo State.
He described the purported directive as the work of an impostor and said the state remained open to everyone regardless of political affiliation, beliefs or associations.
The controversy occurred against the backdrop of a political dispute between Davido and Governor Okpebholo.
Davido had publicly supported his uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, during the 2026 Osun governorship election campaign.
The singer had also exchanged altercations with Governor Okpebholo on social media during the period leading up to the election.
Conclusion:
The claim that the Edo State Government officially banned Davido from entering or performing in Edo State is false.
Although a senior aide to Governor Monday Okpebholo publicly stated that Davido had been banned from performing in the state, the Edo State Government has subsequently distanced itself from the statement and explicitly denied imposing such a ban.
The available evidence indicates that the purported ban was not an official policy or directive from the Edo State Government. Davido remains welcome in the state, Edo State Government clarified.
