NIGERIAN politics is so serious that it is no longer left in the hands of politicians. Or so it seems.
We can see how Davido, carrying the South and a segment of Northern youths, and Rarara, with a huge fan base in the North, stand at the vanguard of the music industry, with their influence now extending into national politics, where their reach can shape public loyalties and political momentum.
Davido and Rarara are Nigerian musicians and household names in the Nigerian music industry. Each has his own genre, audience, style and appeal, shaped by his background.
Born on November 21, 1992, David Adedeji Adeleke (Davido) is a Nigerian-American. He holds dual citizenship because he was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. His father, 69-year-old Adedeji Adeleke, is a billionaire business magnate, CEO of Pacific Holdings Limited and president of Adeleke University. He is the elder brother of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, the dancing governor, who was re-elected last week and is junior to the late Isiaka Adeleke.
The late Isiaka Adeleke, often called Serubawon, established a deep political dynasty that the re-elected governor of Osun State built on. He was the first civilian governor of Osun State and later served as a senator. This places Davido within a family whose name carries considerable political and financial weight.
His mother, the late Dr Veronica Imade Adeleke, a Bini lady from Edo State, tragically passed away on March 6, 2003, at the age of 39. While the date coincided with the 40th birthday of her husband, it is a date I cannot forget because it also coincided with the death of my first wife, Lami Fatima Babare.
Dr Veronica was a university lecturer at Babcock University, an entrepreneur and a passionate music lover. She had a strong affinity for music and led her own musical group, “David’s Band”. She even owned a record label in the 1990s, which no doubt inspired Davido’s own entry into the music industry.
You see, the Adeleke family has no problems and can afford to take schooling lightly or dance all the time.
On the other hand, Dauda Kahutu (Rarara), six years older than Davido, was born on September 13, 1986. Born in Kahutu village in Danja Local Government Area of Katsina State, he was raised by his parents, Alhaji Adamu Kahutu and Hajiya Halima Adamu.
He started as a typical almajiri, exposed to Qur’anic studies during his early years. He also had opportunities to participate in informal performance culture, especially after relocating to Kano State to further his Islamic education. These experiences influenced his musical style.
While Davido was privileged by birth, coming from an elite family where he had no lack, Rarara had to pull himself up by his bootstraps.
For instance, Davido was born in the United States, attended the British International School on Victoria Island, Lagos, and studied business administration at Oakwood University in Alabama, where he dropped out, then returned to Nigeria and graduated with a music degree from Babcock University in 2015.
He is a highly influential singer, songwriter and record producer, a leading force in global Afrobeats and the founder of Davido Music Worldwide (DMW).
Rarara, who did not enjoy Davido’s privileges, is also a very influential Hausa singer and songwriter.
But while Davido is more globally recognised and is something of an activist – a vocation he can easily afford because he might not know “hunger” – Rarara started as a praise singer, like many Hausa singers, to keep body and soul together.
Davido first achieved global prominence when he performed at the closing ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on December 18, 2022, just before the Argentina-France final. He sang the tournament’s hit single, “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)”, alongside co-artists AISHA and Trinidad Cardona, as well as collaborators on the official multi-song soundtrack. He made history as the first Afrobeats artist to perform on a FIFA World Cup final stage.
He also performed ahead of the 2026 World Cup as a headliner at the official FIFA World Cup Countdown Concert at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on June 10, 2026. He also performed at FIFA World Cup Fan Festival events, including in Atlanta, and is featured on the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album alongside other Nigerian artistes.
It was here that he displayed his activist streak when he wore a custom statement jacket highlighting the names of 39 abducted schoolchildren and seven teachers from Oyo State in Nigeria to raise global awareness. By doing so, he turned music into a political signal.
This singular act pitted him against Rarara, who has also gained national recognition, with the president standing up to shake hands with him.
This is unprecedented because even the late Alhaji Mamman Gawo Filinge, often phonetically written or misheard as Gawo Falange, a legendary Hausa singer from the Filinge (Filingué) district in the Tillabéri region of Niger, did not receive such an honour.
In 1970, Filinge sang the iconic song “Najeriya da Nijar” before General Yakubu Gowon, then Nigeria’s leader, and Hamani Diori, the first president of the Republic of Niger. The song highlighted the deep historical and cultural unity between Nigeria and Niger, as well as the camaraderie between the two leaders. Yet none of them stood up for him.
But even Alhaji (Dr) Mamman Shata, who performed before multiple Nigerian heads of state and presidents throughout his legendary career spanning more than half a century, did not receive the public honour Rarara did. And Shata was arguably the most famous Hausa griot and praise singer in West Africa in his time.
The president’s gesture towards Rarara, to some, does not denote a lowering of the office or serve as a reference for Nigerian youths on who earns “respect”. They see it as a gift that God bestows on whom He wishes, and in this era, He has elevated Rarara to that level.
Rarara’s songs consolidate an existing order, as we saw when his songs galvanised the followers of the late General Muhammadu Buhari. His “Omo logo” song, eulogising the president, is now catapulting APC and, more especially, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s adherents to cloud seven.
In contrast, Davido’s songs and activism tend to draw people towards his way of thinking. Therein lies the main difference between the two characters: one reinforces an existing order, while the other seeks to shape opinion. If they combine their talents, they may sway a nation.
Currently, the two are on opposite sides of the divide and at each other’s throats. But with the confession of Davido’s uncle, the dancing governor, that he would work for Tinubu’s re-election because he is Yoruba and from the South-West, and Davido’s dobale to Wike, we may see a convergence of interests between Rarara, who is already on the ground, and Davido, the new entrant.
That is, if Davido, who mocked the governor of Edo State over his poor WAEC result, would overlook those without the same privileges.
Rarara is not rooting for Tinubu because of tribe or region, but because of his interests. In this respect, musicians, too, like politicians, can set aside differences, friendship or the lack of it, and work to advance their personal interests, whether permanent or temporary.
- Dr Gimba, anipr, is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Neptune Prime. His syndicated column, The Arbiter, appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Monday.