Davido Responds to Rarara’s Criticism of His World Cup Insecurity Advocacy

By Enitan Abdultawab

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, known as Davido, has responded to criticism from Hausa singer Dauda Rarara, who accused him of using the FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles to highlight Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.

The dispute began when Rarara called Davido’s action “barbaric,” claiming the singer embarrassed Nigeria before a global audience.

During the World Cup countdown event on June 10, Davido performed while wearing a custom jacket that read “Bring Them Home” and listed more than 40 schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15.

The gesture drew international attention to the victims’ plight and earned praise from several Nigerians, including former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Rarara, who often performs at APC events, criticized the move in a video posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday.

“I do not usually reply or react to issues like this, but what Davido did was barbaric,” Rarara said.

“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?”

The singer also questioned Davido’s motives, suggesting the Afrobeats star was politicising insecurity for personal family interests.

“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?” he asked.

On X on Wednesday, Davido replied to the video with a single word: “Debidooo.” The response was widely interpreted as a playful jab at the Hausa pronunciation of his name.

Rarara did not accept the comment, replying with the Hausa phrase “Kashiga taitayinka,” a derogatory expression loosely translated as “Come back to your senses.”

Davido then escalated the exchange with a direct response in Hausa: “Da ace kana da ilimi da na tsaya nayi magana dakai. Ama komai baka sani ba, sakarai kawai.” The statement translates to: “If only you had knowledge, I would have stopped to speak with you. But you know nothing, just a fool.”

The post ‘Debidooo’ — Davido fires back at Rarara over insecurity advocacy at World Cup appeared first on Vanguard News.