The Edo State government has barred Nigerian Afrobeats star, Davido from performing in the state for the rest of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration, following a bitter public dispute that spilled over from the recent Osun governorship election.

Apostle Kassy Chukwu, the Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media to the governor, made the announcement in a video that circulated widely. Addressing the singer directly, he declared that Davido was no longer welcome to stage shows in Edo.

“You have been banned from coming to Edo State to perform. We don’t want to see you in Edo again,” Chukwu stated. He accused the artist of disrespecting the governor and his family and claimed that many young people in the state were angered by the singer’s comments.

Chukwu went further, warning that Davido could face a hostile reception if he attempted to return, including at the airport. He said local youths had expressed strong opposition to any future performances by the star and suggested that event organisers should not invite him for the remaining years of the current administration.

The confrontation traces back to the build-up to the August 15 Osun State governorship election. Governor Okpebholo, who campaigned for the All Progressives Congress candidate, publicly criticised Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke—Davido’s uncle—over his frequent dancing and questioned his seriousness in office.

Davido, who had actively supported his uncle’s re-election bid, responded by sharing what appeared to be a copy of Okpebholo’s West African Examinations Council result on his Instagram Story. The post, which showed several ordinary and weak grades, was widely seen as a direct jab at the Edo governor.

Davido later defended the move in interviews and refused to apologise, insisting he had done nothing wrong and that Okpebholo had no right to attack a sitting governor. The exchange escalated online and drew sharp reactions from both sides.

Davido’s logistics manager, Israel DMW, who hails from Edo, rejected the ban outright. He described Chukwu as an outsider originally from Ebonyi State who did not speak for the people of Edo and insisted that no individual had the authority to prevent the singer from visiting what he called Davido’s maternal home. “No man on this planet Earth can ban Oga from Edo,” Israel stated.

The development has generated intense discussion across social media and entertainment circles, with many questioning the authority of a gubernatorial aide to impose such a restriction on a private citizen and popular entertainer.

As of now, neither Davido nor the Edo State Government House has issued a formal official statement beyond the aide’s video declaration.