The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has officially banned the broadcast of Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem’s latest protest song, Tell Your Papa, across all radio and television platforms in the country.
In a directive dated April 9, 2025, and signed by the Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, Susan Obi, the commission classified the track as Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB), citing violations of Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. The section prohibits content considered inappropriate, offensive, or contrary to public decency.
Despite the song gaining widespread attention on social media, NBC said its lyrical content does not meet the standards of responsible broadcasting and has urged all stations to exercise discretion and refrain from airing it.
The controversial track, released earlier this week, takes direct aim at Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu. In it, Abdulkareem criticizes the government’s handling of the economy and rising insecurity, calling on Seyi to “tell his father” about the harsh realities Nigerians face daily.
Lines from the song include:
“Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die. Tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga.”
The song’s release followed Seyi Tinubu’s recent comment in Adamawa State, where he described his father as “the greatest president in Nigeria’s history.”
The ban has sparked mixed reactions online. While many Nigerians commend Abdulkareem for voicing the frustrations of the masses, others view the NBC’s action as an attempt to suppress dissenting voices and stifle free speech in the media.
