Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has mocked former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, after the latter claimed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) rigged him out of its 2022 House of Representatives primary election.
The exchange followed a political debate ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, where Ahmad had predicted that Governor Ademola Adeleke, Davido’s uncle, would be defeated.
Davido, responding to Ahmad’s post on X on Thursday, wrote: “You got 16 votes bro in primaries STFU!!”
Ahmad, however, rejected the claim that he received only 16 votes in the APC primary, insisting that the exercise was neither credible nor transparent.
In a statement, the former Buhari aide said he was not yet prepared to disclose all the details of what transpired during the primary but maintained that the widely circulated figure was inaccurate.
“Since the conversation surrounding my participation in the 2022 House of Representatives primary election has resurfaced, though I am not yet ready to reveal, in detail, everything that transpired during that process, but I feel it is important to say this unequivocally: it is simply not true that I got 16 votes. The reality is that there was no credible primary election in the first place,” Ahmad said.
He alleged that there was verifiable evidence showing how the process was rigged against him, including videos and other materials.
“If there had been, I am very confident I would have been the winner. There is verifiable evidence of how the process was rigged, including videos and other materials that support my claim,” he said.
Ahmad said figures being circulated by Davido, his supporters or others regarding the primary did not reflect the actual outcome of a transparent and legitimate electoral process.
“Therefore, any figures being circulated by Davido, his supporters or anyone else from that purported exercise are misleading and do not reflect a transparent, legitimate or credible primary election,” he added.
His claim that the APC primary was rigged against him subsequently triggered reactions from social media users, with some questioning the credibility of the electoral process that produced Buhari as the party’s presidential candidate and subsequently brought him to power.
Automobile influencer, @Sarkinmota_AMF, asked Ahmad whether he was suggesting that the primary conducted by the same party that produced Buhari, his principal, as president was neither free, fair nor credible.
Another X user, @Joshuaelijahms5, said Ahmad’s explanation was ironic because it appeared to acknowledge the existence of flaws in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The dispute has added another dimension to the political exchanges ahead of the Osun governorship election, with Davido actively campaigning for his uncle, while Ahmad has publicly criticised the governor and backed the opposition to the incumbent administration.
