Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has thrown a challenge at Nigerian politicians after 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi publicly explained how he built his wealth before entering politics.

Davido reacted after television host Oseni Rufai shared a clip from an interview in which Obi spoke extensively about his business career and the source of his wealth.

Rufai, who interviewed the former Anambra State governor, asked whether other Nigerian politicians could similarly account for how they made their money.

“Can every Nigerian politician tell us how they made their money like this?” Rufai asked.

Davido responded bluntly: “None of them can try it.”

The comment has since attracted attention on social media, coming amid renewed public debate over the wealth of Nigerian political office holders and how they acquired their assets.

During the interview, Obi said his business career began long before he entered politics.

He explained that he ran a brand and market management company and held the franchise for Heinz products in Nigeria, including salad cream and baked beans.

He also said he served as the sole agent for South African Breweries and worked with pharmaceutical company Novartis, among other international companies.

According to Obi, the business he built later became associated with the Next Cash and Carry retail chain after he exited and his brother took over the business.

The former governor also said he owned substantial shares in two or three banks and served as chairman of at least one bank before becoming governor of Anambra State.

Obi was responding to questions surrounding allegations linked to the Pandora Papers and reported offshore assets attributed to him.

Asked about assets reportedly worth about $15m held offshore, Obi used the opportunity to explain his business history and insisted that his wealth predated his political career.

He also recalled his years in the United Kingdom, saying he received one of the first American Express Platinum cards issued to a limited number of customers worldwide in 1987.

“If there’s anything to regret in my life, it’s going into politics because it made me poorer,” Obi said, while adding that he was nevertheless glad to have served.

Davido’s reaction has added a celebrity dimension to the debate, with his brief comment effectively turning Rufai’s question into a challenge to politicians to publicly account for their sources of wealth.

The discussion comes as Obi campaigns for the presidency under the Nigeria Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 election.