“Even in 10 Lifetimes, You Can’t Be Fela” — Ojudu Blasts Wizkid Comparisons

Former senator and journalist Babafemi Ojudu has criticised ongoing comparisons between contemporary Nigerian musicians and late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, describing such parallels as misguided, superficial, and historically inaccurate. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

Ojudu’s comments come amid the recent public feud involving Wizkid and Seun Kuti, Fela’s son, which has reignited debates over artistic greatness, cultural legacy, and historical impact within Nigeria’s music industry.

Writing on his Facebook page, Ojudu described Fela as far more than a musician, portraying him as a movement, a revolution, and the moral conscience of a nation who fearlessly confronted military dictatorships and systemic oppression in Nigeria.

According to the former lawmaker, Fela’s legacy cannot be measured by chart success or global fame alone. He recalled that the Afrobeat icon endured over 200 arrests, imprisonment, torture, and exile in his relentless resistance against injustice, corruption, and state violence.

Ojudu noted that Fela’s music gave birth to Afrobeat, a genre now studied in universities worldwide, sampled by global superstars, and performed on some of the world’s biggest stages.

“Is it true that a Nigerian youngster said he is greater than Fela? I sincerely hope he was misquoted,” Ojudu wrote.
“Even if he were to live ten lifetimes, his art and his life could not measure up to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.”

He further highlighted Fela’s role as a fearless dissenter, recalling how the musician stood alone against military rule, using music as a weapon against oppression despite repeated arrests and brutal repression.

Ojudu referenced the destruction of the Kalakuta Republic, the death of Fela’s mother at the hands of state forces, and the repeated assaults he suffered from security agencies, stressing that none of these ordeals broke his spirit or silenced his voice.

“For any young person—musician or not—to compare himself to Fela, he must first walk the corridors of Nigerian jailhouses, endure exile, and still return with his creative spirit intact,” he added.

The former senator also praised Fela’s musical brilliance, describing him as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, and cultural theorist who fused jazz, highlife, funk, Yoruba rhythms, and political poetry into a sound that remains timeless and unmatched.

Ojudu’s remarks have since sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians weighing in on the ongoing debate over legacy, activism, and what true greatness in music represents.