Renowned playwright and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has strongly condemned the recent ban imposed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on a politically charged song by Nigerian hip-hop artist, Eedris Abdulkareem.
The song, titled Tell Your Papa, criticises President Bola Tinubu’s administration and was particularly aimed at his son, Seyi Tinubu, over comments declaring his father Nigeria’s greatest leader.
The NBC had cited the “objectionable nature” of the song as the reason for its prohibition from radio and television broadcasts. But Soyinka, in a sharply worded statement released on Sunday, from New York University, Abu Dhabi, decried the move as a disturbing return to authoritarian censorship and an affront to freedom of expression.
“In banning this song, we are witnessing a relapse into familiar patterns—suppressing dissent through the silencing of artistic voices,” the octogenarian stated. “This act echoes the repeated attempts in Nigeria’s history to stifle socio-political commentary under the guise of national interest.”
Soyinka, known for his fearless critiques of oppressive regimes, said the NBC’s actions reflect a broader climate of intolerance for criticism under the current administration. “Any government that only tolerates praise-singers and dancers to the official beat has already begun its descent into the abyss,” he warned.
Though he admitted he had not listened to the song in question, Soyinka emphasized that the principle at stake transcends the content of Abdulkareem’s lyrics. “It is not only the record that should be banned—why not go further and proscribe the artist himself, or dissolve the musicians’ union he belongs to?” he said sarcastically, highlighting what he sees as the absurdity of such censorship.
The celebrated author also commended a satirical cartoonist, Ebun Aleshinloye, whose illustration critiqued the ban. “It is thanks to that cartoon that I even learned of the song’s existence. The irony is: this ban has likely boosted Abdulkareem’s popularity—and his income,” Soyinka added, calling attention to the unintended consequence of censorship acting as free publicity.
Soyinka’s statement extended beyond the confines of music and censorship. He also weighed in on Nigeria’s recurring tragedies tied to mob violence. Referring to the recent killings in Edo State, where at least 19 people were lynched by a mob, Soyinka described the events as a national stain and a painful reminder of the deepening culture of lawlessness.
He drew parallels with the 2022 murder of Deborah Samuel, a student lynched in Sokoto over alleged blasphemy. “Her killers were not only unpunished—they celebrated themselves online with impunity. And that is the real horror, not the numbers, but the audacity,” he lamented.
According to Soyinka, such atrocities are symptoms of a justice system in decay and a society where impunity thrives. “As long as these acts go unpunished, we invite a return to brutish existence and make violence our national identity,” he warned.
With rising concerns over civil liberties and governance, Soyinka’s voice serves as both a moral compass and a call to action. “The thirst for justice must remain unslaked,” he concluded, offering condolences to the victims’ families and urging Nigerians not to lose sight of their collective humanity.
© Ripples Nigeria
