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What Politicians Need to Learn from Davido
By Joel Popoola
It is clearly obvious that Nigerians trust pop stars enough to send them money. As a result, politicians need to learn something from Davido.
Imagine if President Buhari used the internet to ask Nigerians to send him the money he needed to pay import taxes on a new Rolls Royce.
How many of us do you think would oblige?
But this is exactly what musician Davido did last week, and the results were astonishing.
“If u know I’ve given you a hit song … send me money” the singer posted on Twitter, alongside details of a bank account.
Within 90 minutes Davido shared a screenshot showing that more than N42 million naira had already been deposited.
The next day a further screenshot showed that the total had risen to N184 million naira, as celebrities, sport stars and companies began boasting of their donations.
Some fans questioned the morality of a performer who frequently shares photos of himself posing on private jets asking fans with only a few naira to their name to send him their cash.
“Someone who isn’t in need encouraging people who are likely in need and who have much less than them to send them money is weird in a country where only a small tiny per cent have up to N500k in their account” said one.
Others clearly felt very differently.
“I did it out of love. I know he is much richer than me and people saying why would I do that,” one fan told the BBC.
“It feels like one of my aims has been achieved. It’s rare for a fan to transact with a celebrity.”
Davido has subsequently revealed that all donations will be given to orphanages alongside a large personal donation.
But the episode contains crucial lessons for our political leaders, who – it’s fair to say – do not inspire the same devotion as Davido.
One recent study suggests that just 24% of Nigerians trust the government.
72% of Nigerians believe the statement “most politicians are corrupt” describes our country well – and 60% say it describes Nigeria “very well”.
Only 39% of Nigerians are satisfied with the way democracy is working in our country, while 60% say they are not satisfied.
These figures undoubtedly contribute to the worst voter turnout in West Africa – 36% at the last presidential election, compared to 68% in Ghana.
It’s fair to say that many of us begrudge paying our taxes, given the likelihood that some of them will lend up in the back pocket of a corrupt official. I expect practically no-one would be willing to pay to get their local politician’s luxury car through customs!
Of course, Davido had some advantages over politicians. He doesn’t have a decades long record of broken promises and corruption – only a back catalogue of hit records.
But part of his popularity stems from his engagement with his fans on social media. And this is a lesson Nigerian politicians have to learn. Davido’s fans feel like they know him. They feel like he knows them in return. They feel like they have a relationship with him.
At the digital democracy project I lead we are using social media to reconnect electors and the elected. Our free Rate Your Leader app is designed to helps politicians engage directly with voters on a person to person basis – helping them understand what matters most to the people who elect them and build relationships of trust with the electorate.
To many Nigerians politicians can feel like very remote – even irrelevant– figures. Apps like Rate Your Leader can bridge that divide and make it clear to local people how vital their work is and how committed to their communities they are.
Rate Your Leader also allows voters to put questions directly to decision makers – and rate the quality of answers they receive. In the digital era, user reviews are everything to consumers. People visit restaurants because customers have rated them highly on TripAdvisor. People buy online because consumers have rated products highly on Amazon. And we believe that people will vote for politicians that have proven that they are credible, trustworthy and responsive – and have the independent ratings to prove it.
We’re not saying that using social media tools like Rate Your Leader to engage with residents will end up with them posting bank notes to the state house.
But it can make them feel real, relevant and relatable. And that in turn is vital for our democracy.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital demcocracy campaigner and is creator of the Rate Your Leader app. He can be reached via @JOPopoola
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Complaining is part of human nature. We complain about our health, school, family, friends, work, finances, government, and life in general. Human beings literally complain about everything and anything.
Over time, I have come to discover something about life: complaining doesn’t solve a problem; it adds to it. According to the Book of Life, why worry when you can pray? The moral of this statement is that instead of worrying, why not look for solutions? When you worry, it only accumulates the problems, but when you explore avenues to solve a problem, you’re literally praying.
Complaining is like having a problem and apportioning blame to another person instead of fixing it. One of the hallmarks of great minds is the ability to solve problems, while little minds complain.
In the world of visionary leaders, they don’t complain; rather, they see complaints as challenges of life, while lesser minds see complaints as problems of life. Again, while great leaders see problems as a gateway to make money and succeed by proffering solutions, little minds see problems as obstacles limiting their growth to succeed. Same action but different results and consequences.
As human beings, we tend to focus on what we don’t have instead of focusing on what we have. It’s only when we appreciate what we have that we give room for opportunities and favors to come to us. It’s unfortunate some of fucus on what we are going through instead of what we are becoming.
It’s instructive to note that complaints don’t lead us anywhere, rather it hinders our progress. Nobody likes complainers; complainers are usually seen as energy suckers because all they do is take without giving. Instead of complaining, why not practice gratitude? Gratitude helps to draw and attract opportunities.
In the world of human relations, the ability to manage people is an uncommon skill. One must learn to nurture relationships. Human beings can be difficult to manage. While some exhibit meekness, gratitude, cheerfulness, and loyalty, some exhibit bitterness, frustration, depression, sadness, and sorrow. What most people don’t know is that we have the ability to change how we manage our lives and how we react to what life throws at us through our attitude.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not insinuating that complaining is wrong; rather, I’m insinuating it’s not healthy for our mental health. The only time we can complain about something is when we are proffering a solution; by so doing, we have highlighted the problems and proffered the solution.
Complaints make us blind to see the good in others. As a word of advice, if you focus exclusively on the shortcomings of the people with whom you have to relate and forget that they have a good point, it will be difficult to see the good in them.
According to Yomi Garnett, focus on the good side of people and be intentional in learning about their mindset and inquire what made them who they are. Also, focusing on the good side of people despite their bad or weak side makes them feel valuable as human beings, and by so doing, we show our empathic personality.
In conclusion, resolve today to stop complaining and start appreciating the challenges of life with gratitude.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned social media personality and self-acclaimed relationship adviser, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, before the Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged N36 million fraud.
Blessing CEO was arraigned on Friday before Justice D.I. Dipeolu on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and alleged theft involving N36 million
According to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly obtained the money from one Mrs. Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye under the pretext of securing a six-bedroom duplex in Lekki, Lagos — a claim prosecutors said she knew to be false.
During proceedings, defence counsel P.I. Nwafor informed the court that the defendant had refunded N24 million to the complainant and requested a short adjournment to allow discussions over the outstanding balance.
“We have an application to make. The defendant approached the nominal complainant and refunded N24 million out of the N36 million.
“We are asking for a short adjournment to resolve the outstanding balance. The nominal complainant agreed that if the balance is paid, they can prevail on the EFCC to drop the case,” the lawyer said.
However, prosecution counsel S.I. Suleiman opposed the request, insisting that the commission was not involved in any private settlement arrangement.
“The complainant here is the Federal Government of Nigeria, and we are here for the arraignment. We urge that the defendant take her plea, as that is the business of the day,” he argued.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Dipeolu held that settlement talks could continue independently but would not stop the arraignment process.
“The defence and the nominal complainant can have discussions even during the pendency of the charge. It does not affect the proceedings before the court. The defendant will take her plea,” the judge ruled.
One of the charges alleged that between July 14 and 17, 2024, Blessing CEO fraudulently obtained N36 million from the complainant over a purported property lease in Lekki.
Another count accused her of unlawfully converting the money to personal use, contrary to provisions of the Criminal Code Act.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following her plea, the prosecution asked the court to commence trial and remand her in a correctional facility, while the defence requested that she remain in EFCC custody pending bail arrangements.
Justice Dipeolu subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the matter to June 5, 2026, for commencement of trial.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has narrated how his principal almost sacked him because of Lagos State House of Assembly member, Desmond Elliot.
He said he almost lost his job during the Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa impeachment saga.
Recall that lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly had said that Obasa was impeached to save the integrity and sanctity of the House of Assembly and Lagos State.
The lawmakers, while jointly addressing journalists at the Assembly Complex, said: “It’s just a change of baton. It is only death that is constant, so change is inevitable.”
However, with President Tinubu against the impeachment, the Speaker was restored and peace returned to the Assembly.
Addressing members of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday, Gbajabiamila said, “I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. Mr President called me to his house in Abuja during the Lagos Speaker Obasa saga.
“He said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir. He is one of the people causing problems in the Lagos House of Assembly.’
“Immediately, I told the president that Desmond wasn’t part of them, but the president replied and said that, from the intelligence he received, Desmond was part of them.
“After that meeting, I called Desmond and told him what the president said, and asked him to leave the group if he was part of them. Three days later, the DSS DG called me and said there was a problem.
“He said your name is being mentioned, that you’re the one behind the impeachment saga and that you’re supporting Desmond.
“I spoke to the DSS DG and told him I had spoken to Desmond and he denied being part of the group. I then asked Desmond to make a public statement denying his involvement in the impeachment saga, but till today, he hasn’t done it.”
