Nigerian music star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has raised a fresh alarm over the conduct of some polling officials in the ongoing Osun State governorship election, alleging that some Presiding Officers (POs) are planning to delay the entry of polling-unit results until they get to collation centres.
Davido, who has openly backed the Accord Party in the election, raised the concern in a post on his X account on Saturday as voting and the processing of results continued across the state.
The singer alleged that some Presiding Officers were telling party representatives that they would only input election results at the collation centre, a development he described as a matter requiring immediate attention.
“It is being reported that some POs are saying they will only input results at the collation center,” Davido stated.
He subsequently called on Accord Party supporters and voters to remain vigilant and ensure that results are properly recorded at the polling units before the electoral process moves to the next stage.
“All Accord supporters and voters should ensure the results are filled into the form EC8A, signed, and uploaded to the IReV,” he said.
Davido also directly appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that its officials comply with the established procedures governing the recording and transmission of election results.
“Insist on your right!!!! Call your staff to orderrrrrrrrrr @inecnigeria. Federal might will fail here,” the singer added.
His intervention comes as the Osun governorship election continues under intense public scrutiny, with concerns being raised over alleged vote-buying, intimidation, technical difficulties, delays, and the conduct of some political actors and election officials in different parts of the state.
The controversy surrounding the recording and transmission of results is particularly significant because polling-unit results form a critical part of the process through which voters, political parties, agents and observers can verify what was recorded at individual polling units before the results move through the collation process.
Davido’s warning therefore places renewed attention on the responsibility of Presiding Officers to properly complete the relevant result forms at the polling units, obtain the required signatures and ensure that the results are transmitted through the prescribed electronic process.
The singer, who is a nephew of Governor Ademola Adeleke, has remained one of the most prominent entertainers to publicly participate in the political conversation surrounding the Osun election.
He has repeatedly used his social media platforms to raise concerns about the safety of Accord supporters and the integrity of the electoral process, particularly as tension increased ahead of and during the election.
In previous interventions, Davido had alleged that there were plans to arrest members and supporters of the Accord Party ahead of the election and urged his followers to remain vigilant.
He had also called on international observers and foreign political leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, to pay attention to the election, citing concerns about possible violence, intimidation and disruption of the democratic process.
His latest intervention, however, is focused specifically on the handling of election results and the need for transparency at the polling-unit level.
The allegation that some Presiding Officers may seek to enter results only at collation centres, if established, could raise serious questions about the transparency of the result-management process and the ability of voters and party agents to verify figures recorded at polling units.
Davido has consequently urged Accord supporters not to remain passive, but to insist that the appropriate procedures are followed and that polling-unit results are properly documented, signed and uploaded.
The development adds another layer to an already closely watched election in Osun, where incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is seeking another term against major challengers, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
As counting and collation progress, attention is expected to remain firmly focused on the conduct of election officials, the handling of polling-unit result forms, electronic transmission, the activities of party agents and whether the final figures accurately reflect the results recorded by voters at the various polling units.
For Davido and the Accord camp, the message is clear: results must be properly recorded at the point of voting, verified by the relevant parties and transmitted through the prescribed channels rather than left open to uncertainty at later stages of the collation process.