'Tell your papa': Wetin dey inside Eedris Abdukareem new song wey NBC ban?

BBC News

11-04-2025

On Thursday, di National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) ban a new song by popular Nigeria musician and rights activist, Eedris Abdulkareem - dem tok say di song go against sections of di Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
Dis mean to say dis song wey di title na 'Tell your papa', no go fit play for radio and television stations across Nigeria.
According to di NBC di content of di song dey "inappropriate for broadcast sake of say e dey objectionable in nature".
Critics of di Bola Tinubu Administration don describe dis action as attack on freedom of expression wey dey guaranteed by di Nigeria constitution.
Serap, a civil society group for Nigeria don tok say dem go take di matter to court to reverse di ban within 48 hours.
Wetin dey inside 'Tell your papa'?
For di song, Abdukareem tell Seyi to tell im papa di President say pipo dey hungry and hardship choke for di kontri.
Dis one don pass jagajaga, Abdulkareem tok, making reference to im 2004 song 'Jaga Jaga' wey di goment also ban.
Di singer and activist tok about several tins wey e say dey wrong wit di Tinubu administration including di removal of fuel subsidy, high cost of living, high insecurity, and even di declaration of state of emergency for Rivers State.
Abdukareem accuse di Tinubu goment of "too much empty promises" and e ask Seyi to "take our message to him".
"Seyi, try travel by road without your security make you feel di pains of fellow Nigerians... Nigerians wey dey travel by road, some of dem dey face death sentence," Abdukareem tok.
E go ahead to also mention some of di political controversies for di kontri, including di gbas-gbos wey dey go on for di Nigeria Senate betwin di Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
"I go soon shoot una movie, wait for it e dey come," di singer tok for di song.
As at di time of dis report, di song don dey 16 hours for oga Abdulkareem Youtube Channel, and e don gather more dan 40,000 views.
How pipo react on top social media
'Tell your papa' na one of di top 20 trends on top X for Nigeria dis Friday morning wit ova 20k posts, as pipo dey chook mouth on di ban of di song.
Martins Vincent Otse, popular social media influencer and activist wey pipo know as VeryDarkMan, tok say bicos of di ban, im go feature for di remix of di song and im go try promote di song well-well on top social media.
One X-user, Chijioka Ike say im bin no hear about di song until di tori of di ban. "E sure me die say di song go now blow," e tok.
Anoda user, @kingviyper ask Nigerians to stream and retweet di song until e go bicom anthem for di kontri.
No be di first time - Eedris Abdulkareem
Oga Abdulkareem imsef don react to di ban as e tok say di Nigeria goment dey always see constructive criticism as a crime.
"Di Conscience na open wound, only di Truth fit heal am," Abdulkareem tok.
E tok say di same tin bin don also happen to am during di Olusegun Obasanjo administration 21 years ago wen e release di song 'Nigeria jagaja', and goment ban am.
Dat song later bicom one of di major songs wey protesters use during di Occupy Naija nationwide protest in 2012 wen President Goodluck Jonathan dat time remove fuel subsidy.
President Tinubu na one of di ogbonge leaders of dat protest.
Who be Eedris Abdulkareem?
Im full name na Eedris Turayo Abdulkareem Ajenifuja.
Dem born Eedris for 1974.
E perform wit hip-hop and The Remedies from 1997 until dem separate in 2002.
E continued as a solo artist and release di album P.A.S.S. (Pains And Stress = Success) for 2002.
Later di same year, e release one album wey dem title Mr. Lecturer. Di title track of dat album address sex for grades matter for Nigerian colleges and universities.
Dem later blacklist am from di music scene for 2005 afta e release 'Jaga Jaga' in 2004, but e go ahead to release anoda album, 'Letter to Mr President' wia e address President Obasanjo on corruption mata for di kontri.
"Stand up make we fight dis corruption. Jaga Jaga no be insult, e mean say things don spoil. Wen I say Jaga Jaga, dem say I no get sense but now I don become prophet" part of di lyrics of di title track tok.