Nigeria is talking again—and this time, it’s not just about politics, but about freedom.
Nobel Laureate and respected literary icon, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has come out swinging against the Nigerian government after the ban on veteran rapper Eedris Abdulkareem’s latest track, “Tell Your Papa.” The controversial song, which directly addresses President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, takes a jab at the worsening state of the nation, and apparently, the authorities couldn’t take the heat. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
In a memo dropped by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), the song was labelled “objectionable” and banned from being aired on both radio and television.
But Prof. Soyinka isn’t having it.
In a powerful response titled “Surely, Not Again,” Soyinka called out the government for what he described as a resurgence of censorship and a blatant attack on free speech.
“I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem,” he said, adding a heavy dose of sarcasm:
“My position is that such a progressive move does not go far enough. Why stop at banning the song? Ban the musician too. Shut down the music association. And while you’re at it, punish the cartoonist who dared to speak truth through art!”
Although Soyinka admitted he hasn’t even listened to the song himself, he stood firm on one key point: free expression is non-negotiable in any democratic society.
He even joked that the ban might end up helping Eedris more than hurting him:
“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.”
Soyinka also warned that crackdowns on critics and dissenters have become dangerously common in Nigeria, from social commentators being arrested across state lines to artists facing trials simply for sharing their truth.
“We’ve been through this before—again and again. It’s boring, it’s time-wasting, and most of all, it’s a threat to every Nigerian’s basic right to speak their truth.”
And finally, his message to the government was clear and sharp:
“Any government that only tolerates praise-singers is already on a dangerous path downhill.”
What do you think?
Should Eedris’ song have been banned? Or is this just another attempt to silence artists who refuse to stay quiet?
👉 Drop your thoughts in the comments. This conversation is just getting started.
