Outrage as David Adeleke Faces Backlash over recent Interview: Reno Omokri reacts.
Nigerian music star David Adeleke popularly known as Davido, has stirred controversy following his recent YouTube interview with Elevate Africa. The music star has been criticized following his comments on the state of leadership in Nigeria. In a recent interview, the singer remarked,
“I feel like Nigerians adapt. Nigerians are survivors and strong-willed people”._
“We can’t go forward without the best leaders”.
Watch the interview👇
He argued that despite the country’s abundant resources and talent, ineffective leadership has hindered its progress. These statements sparked mixed reactions, with activist Reno Omokri taking a particularly sharp stance against the musician.
Omokri didn’t mince words as he criticized Davido’s comments, calling them hypocritical. He called out Davido’s uncle who he referred to as “the dancing governor, in the person of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, as one of the “failed” Nigeria’s leaders.
He noted that Davido’s uncle is the Governor of Osun state yet Osun is among the worst-performing states in terms of governance and revenue generation.
Omokri made comparison between Adeleke’s administration with the achievements of President Tinubu, highlighting how national economic indicators have improved under Tinubu’s leadership. According to him, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange inflows increased by 67.8% to $27.6 billion in the first half of 2024, GDP growth rose to 3.46% in Q3 2024, and unemployment dropped to 4.3%. He also noted that the minimum wage has increased by 140%, and federal allocations to states, including Osun, have risen by 64%.
Furthermore, in what seemed to be an attempt to infuriate the artist, Omokri made a scathing comparison between Osun State’s revenue and Wizkid’s Morayo album, a move that many saw as a jab at Davido who seems to be in an unspoken competition with his music rival. He noted that Wizkid’s album, released just weeks ago, reportedly earned more revenue in two weeks than Osun’s internally generated revenue for all of 2023. For context, Osun generated only ₦27.93 billion in IGR last year, which is the lowest in the Southwest region, despite the state having a larger population and more natural resources than smaller states like Ekiti.
The criticism didn’t stop there. Daniel Regha, a controversial social media personality noted that Davido is not far from the truth.
In his words he said
“Davido is right cos truly we can’t go forward without the best leaders. But, this is also coming from someone who plays family politics, so that’s hypocrisy”.
While agreeing that Nigeria needs better leaders, Regha pointed out that Davido has benefited from what he called “family politics,” referring to his uncle’s political role. He argued that Davido’s privileged position undermines his ability to critique leadership credibly.
The back-and-forth has sparked a broader conversation about the state of leadership in Nigeria. While many Nigerians resonate with Davido’s frustrations about governance, others believe he should focus on the shortcomings within his own family’s political circle before making sweeping statements.
The debate around Davido’s comments underscores the complexities of Nigeria’s leadership challenges. It also highlights the polarizing nature of public figures weighing in on political issues. Whether viewed as valid criticism or hypocritical grandstanding, one thing is clear: Davido’s remarks have struck a nerve, fueling conversations about accountability and the way forward for Nigeria’
