A heated exchange erupted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday between Afrobeats star Davido and former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad.
The online spat began after Ahmad posted that he had bookmarked a tweet as a reference, suggesting that some people would be left disappointed depending on the outcome of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15.
Davido responded by quoting the post and writing, “U got 16 votes bro… STFU!!”
His remark referred to Ahmad’s performance in a previous All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election for the Gaya/Ajingi/Albasu Federal Constituency in Kano State, where Ahmad polled 16 votes.
Ahmad fired back, saying, “We have talked enough about the number of votes I got in my primaries. Can we now talk about the number of Grammy Awards you have won from your five nominations, David? Fair is fair.”
He accompanied the post with an image of a Grammy Award trophy.
Davido responded with a lengthy post, insisting that his success could not be measured by a single award.
“You measure success by one award. I measure it by sold-out arenas, billions of streams, global influence, and people singing my songs across continents,” he wrote.
The singer went on to criticise Ahmad’s political career, arguing that despite serving in government, he failed to make a meaningful impact in his constituency.
“You had government backing and still couldn’t convince enough people to support you in your constituency. You’re a small boy who came into politics by accident. You spent eight years with the former president and couldn’t bring meaningful change to your poverty-stricken community. We all have different trophies, Bashir. I’ll keep inspiring young people and future generations while you wait for the next government appointment,” Davido added.
Ahmad later replied with a brief post that read, “Water,” alongside a photograph of a woman celebrating with a Grammy Award.
Davido has received five Grammy nominations over the years, including in categories such as Best African Music Performance and Best Global Music Album, but is yet to win the prestigious award. Meanwhile, Ahmad, who holds the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) honour, served as a presidential aide during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and remains active in political commentary.
