‘You embarrassed Nigeria,’ Rarara, Davido trade words over World Cup advocacy

Davido wears jacket bearing names of abducted pupils, teachers in Nigeria for World Cup countdown performance. Credit: X| 5iveAliveWT

Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and prominent Hausa singer Dauda Rarara have engaged in a public exchange after the latter accused the Afrobeats star of embarrassing Nigeria on the global stage. The exchange stems from Davido’s appearance at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles on June 10, where he wore a customised jacket bearing the inscription “Bring Them Home” and featuring the names of over 40 schoolchildren and teachers abducted on May 15 from Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State. Some of the victims were killed during the attack, while others remain in captivity as government efforts to secure their release continue. During his performance, Davido used the high-profile platform to draw international attention to the insecurity crisis. The gesture received praise from figures such as Nigerian Democratic Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi. However, Rarara, a known All Progressive Congress-aligned musician, criticised the move. In a video posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Rarara described Davido’s action as “barbaric,” noting that it could damage Nigeria’s image. “I do not usually reply or react to issues like this, but what Davido did was barbaric. In my opinion, Davido and those who share his way of thinking are only behaving foolishly. “How can you promote Ansaru terrorists or insecurity-related issues to the whole world? How can you take a sensitive national security issue and project it to the world in a way that could damage the country’s image? What exactly do you stand to gain from doing that? “Davido took the names of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, wrote them on the Nigerian flag and displayed it in America. What was the purpose? What did he hope to achieve? Or was it because he had turned the matter into politics?” The Hausa singer alleged that the Afrobeats star was trying to mobilise political support for his uncle, who is contesting an election on the platform of the Accord Party, and to portray the current administration negatively. Related News FULL LIST: All 2026 World Cup Player of the Match winners so far England starts World Cup bid as Ronaldo makes history Nigerians must not stay silent on insecurity, Davido tells Rarara “Is it because his uncle is contesting an election on Accord Party and Tinubu is in APC? Is that why insecurity must become a campaign tool? Anyone who campaigns with insecurity is insane, because he