Soyinka Slams NBC for Banning  Eedris Abdulkareem’s Protest Song

Linus Aleke in Abuja  and Yinka Olatunbosun

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has frowned on the ban declared by the National Broadcasting Service (NBC) on rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem’s song, “Tell Your Papa.”

In the song, Eedris is sending a message to son of President Bola Tinubu, Seyi Tinubu,  urging him to tell his father that Nigerians are suffering because of his economic policies.

But the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, directed radio and television stations operating in the country to stop airing  the protest song.

However, Soyinka in a press release dated April 13, 2025,  described the action by NBC  as a return to censorship in Nigeria, adding that abuse of fundamental rights is no longer a closet affair but one that attracts international limelight in the present day. 

In his view, the ban only succeeds in making the song more popular.

“The ban is a boost to the artist’s nest egg, thanks to free governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank.  I envy him,” he stated. 

“Any government that is tolerant only of yes-men and women, which accommodates only praise-singers and dancers to the official beat, has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss. Whatever regulating body is responsible for this petulant irrationality should be compelled to reverse its misstep,” Soyinka stressed. 

Similarly, the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the NBC’s action goes against free speech to some extent.

Rafsanjani, who spoke to THISDAY in a telephone chat, stated that this means the government is preventing citizens from expressing their views on what is happening in the country. 

“What has Abdulkareem said that is remarkably different from what Fela said in the past? What Fela said still remains evergreen in terms of misgovernance, corruption, insecurity, human rights abuses, and more. It’s the same thing that is recurring now; what the military did during their dark regime is child’s play compared to what Tinubu’s administration is doing,” he said. 

He also averred that the NBC’s action has helped popularise the song, stating that many Nigerians are now listening to the song. He noted that what would have been a problem would be if the singer in the song preached violence or advocated things that violate Nigeria’s constitution.

“The song does not constitute any threat to peace and security in the country; it does not violate any section of our constitution. Rather, the song serves as a reminder that Nigerians are going through hard times. I don’t think this warrants the kind of overzealous and sycophantic ban the NBC has imposed. This is why we call for the revitalisation of our institutions to detach them from political control. There is no evidence that this song has contributed to violence or any inappropriate thing in the polity. There is nothing he said in the song that Nigerians aren’t experiencing today,” he asserted.

The Chairman of the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, Dr Ambrose Igboke, stated that the ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song suggests that the NBC has little work to do. 

He stressed that in the age of citizen journalism and online access to video materials, the NBC seems not to be in tune with how content is currently shared with the masses. According to him, mass media are no longer confined to radio and television broadcasts.

He said:”President Tinubu himself might just laugh off the music, but the NBC will, rather, play the role of an eye service. Has the NBC tackled the massive indecency in music and movies that are on our airwaves? Has the regulatory body done anything about the fallen standards of broadcasting in Nigeria, where many presenters and newscasters struggle to pronounce simple words, Nigerian names, and even coherent sentences? The NBC should spare Nigeria this sycophancy.”

A civil society organisation operating under the umbrella of Global Rights Nigeria also strongly condemned the ban. A statement by Programme Officer, Civic Space, Global Rights, Damilola Decker,  stated that this action represents yet another disgraceful and deeply troubling assault on freedom of expression, one of the cornerstones of any genuine democracy. 

She stressed that NBC’s failure to provide any lawful or sensible justification for this ban speaks volumes, adding that “It leaves little doubt that the Commission’s decision is rooted in political convenience rather than regulatory necessity.

“The song openly critiques the current Tinubu administration’s governance and policy failures and appears to have been singled out solely for its critical content. This is unacceptable in a democratic society. 

“The ban is not only undemocratic, it is also blatantly unconstitutional. Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to receive and impart information and ideas without interference. Furthermore, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Nigeria is a party, affirms the right to freedom of opinion and expression through any media of one’s choice. The decision by NBC is also a breach of Nigeria’s international obligations,.” She said. 

To this end, the group demanded that NBC immediately rescind the ban on “Tell Your Papa” and publicly apologise for this overreach. The CSO also urged all media houses, radio and TV stations to defy this unlawful directive and continue to air the song as a matter of public interest.

Other demands include: “We demand that the Tinubu administration call itself to order, reaffirm its commitment to democratic norms, and halt all actions that seek to curtail freedom of expression.” 

Noting that the Nigerian people will not be silenced, Global Rights concludes that democracy cannot thrive where dissent is crushed, and the Nigerian people will not retreat to an era where dissent is criminalised.

But a research professor at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Femi Otubanjo, has  applauded the action of the NBC. 

He explained that free speech doesn’t mean any speech, adding that censorship is an integral part of the music and film industry. 

According to him, “A lot of films you watch are censored and re-edited. So, censorship and free speech aren’t totally opposed to each other. Within the context of free speech, there are expectations that what you say won’t be subversive, offensive or inciting. The responsibility of the NBC is to monitor and control that.”

On whether any section of the music is offensive, he said: “A great deal of it is problematic. First, the language is crude. ‘Tell your papa’ – I mean, you’re talking about the President of Nigeria. You don’t talk like that. There’s nothing artistic about the music; any person can talk like that.”

Otubanjo argued:”You can criticise the government with refinement, but if you’re inciting people to believe that things are difficult, that’s not the way to go. I would prefer it if they hadn’t banned the music. No music ought to be banned after it has gone through the censors’ board; I assume some editing must have been done by the board.”

“Talking for myself, I don’t think that’s the general impression. It’s easy to say all kinds of nasty things about a government in power, which tells less than half of the story. If you give the impression that the suffering in the country is intentional and that the leaders are insensitive, despite being knowledgeable about the situation and statistics showing positive results, but struggling to meet the immediate needs of the people, that’s a nuanced view. However, if you create the impression that the government is insensitive and not doing anything to alleviate the suffering of the people, that’s an inaccurate picture that shouldn’t be allowed to propagate.”

The former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Amb. Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the NBC is likely not quarrelling with the content of the song but adherence to the laid-down procedure. 

He noted that section 3.1.8 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code (5th Edition) states that “the broadcaster shall ensure that every movie carries the appropriate classification symbol of the National Film and Video Censors’ Board (NFVCB) or any other recognised classification and is broadcast within an appropriate belt in accordance with the provisions of the code.” 

The retired ambassador then queried: “I wonder whether this broadcasting code was in existence during Obasanjo’s military rule and Fela Kuti’s outings in his tracks such as Zombie and VIP? It appears that social critics are in for more attention, but not necessarily constructive attention, in the current dispensation.”