Nigerian Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reacted to sharp criticism from northern musician Dauda Kahutu Rarara over his outfit at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
On June 10, 2026, Davido wore a custom black leather jacket featuring green circular buttons, each inscribed with the names of victims from the May 15, 2026, abduction in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The act was widely praised by many Nigerians as a compassionate use of his global platform to spotlight the country’s insecurity challenges.
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On June 16, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, a prominent Hausa singer and known supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu, released a video criticising Davido’s actions.
In the video, Rarara reportedly accused Davido of “exposing Nigeria’s secrets” to the international community, describing the gesture as damaging to the nation’s image abroad. He allegedly characterised the advocacy as unpatriotic, “animalistic,” or even akin to terrorism, and suggested it was politically motivated rather than a genuine humanitarian effort.
Davido responded on X (formerly Twitter) with the post “Debid ooo 😭”, interpreted as a mix of disbelief and amusement at the pronunciation of his name. In another tweet, Davido wrote in hausa translated in English: “I thought you were a reasonable, educated man, so I engaged with you respectfully — but you’re just talking nonsense.”
The singer also noted that no Nigerian should stay silent about the insecurity plaguing the nation nor should they stop others from voicing out their concerns, while tagging the Hausa artiste to his comment