Ogona Anita
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has officially prohibited the broadcasts of veteran rapper Eedris Abdulkareem’s latest protest song, ‘Tell Your Papa’, across radio and television platforms in Nigeria.
A memo dated April 9, 2025, and signed by Susan Obi, the Commission’s Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, was sent to Nigerian radio and television stations. The NBC classified the anti-President Bola Tinubu song as ‘Not To Be Broadcast’ (NTBB), citing its “objectionable nature” and a breach of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The directive, titled “Restriction on Broadcasting ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem,” stated, “The National Broadcasting Commission has identified the song ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem, currently trending on social media, as content deemed inappropriate for broadcast due to its objectionable nature. It is therefore classified as Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB), as it violates Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.”
Section 3.1.8 of the Code prohibits the broadcast of content considered “inappropriate, offensive, or in breach of public decency.”
The memo urged radio and TV stations to adhere to the directive, stating, “The commission requests that your station exercises discretion and refrains from airing this song to maintain responsible broadcasting standards. Your cooperation and commitment to upholding [these standards are] greatly appreciated.”
Released earlier in the week, ‘Tell Your Papa’ has ignited widespread debate online due to its critical perspective on Nigeria’s leadership and socio-economic conditions. The song directly addresses Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, urging him to speak to his father about the struggles faced by ordinary Nigerians.
In the forthright lyrics, Abdulkareem raps, “Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die. Tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga.” He continues, “Seyi, how far? I swear your papa no try. Too much empty promises. On behalf of Nigerians, take our message to him; kidnappers dey kill Nigerians.” Abdulkareem further challenges, “Seyi, try travel by road without your security make you feel the pains of fellow Nigerians. You dey fly private jets, insecurity no be your problem.”
The song is widely perceived as a response to recent comments made by Seyi Tinubu during an appearance in Adamawa State, where he referred to his father as “the greatest president in Nigeria’s history.”
Despite the ban on traditional media, ‘Tell Your Papa’ continues to gain traction across social media platforms, with many Nigerians praising it as a courageous reflection of the country’s current realities.
In response to the Federal Government’s decision to ban his latest single, Eedris Abdulkareem expressed his views on his Facebook page, stating that truth and constructive criticism are regarded as crimes in Nigeria. He wrote: “It’s obvious that in Nigeria, Truth and constructive criticism is always deemed as a big crime by the government, and this present government led by President Bola Tinubu, is now going on record as one of the most insensitive, vindictive and grossly maleficent administration ever to preside over the affairs of Nigeria.”
He continued, “Just under 2 years of his presidency, and the results are just frighteningly abysmal from all fronts. And this is a fact, known by all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, tribe and political affiliations, except for the few happy slaves grovelling for crumps from their paymaster’s table!”
Abdulkareem concluded, “The attached letter has been sent to all broadcast houses in Nigeria, instructing them to shield the government by hiding the candle under the table. Well, I have travelled this road before as this is reminiscent of the ban of my song ‘Jaga Jaga’, by the Obasanjo administration 21 years ago!”
