NBC Bans Eedris Abdulkareem’s Protest Song, Rapper Accuses Government of Silencing Truth

Veteran Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem has reacted strongly to the ban placed on his new protest song, Tell Your Papa, by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), calling it a clear sign that the Nigerian government sees truth-telling as a crime.

In a post shared on his official Instagram account on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Eedris said the ban by the NBC further confirms that the Bola Tinubu-led administration is intolerant of criticism and committed to silencing dissent.

“It’s obvious that in Nigeria, truth and constructive criticism is always deemed as a big crime by the government,” the rapper wrote.

Eedris Calls Out “Vindictive” Government

Eedris didn’t mince words as he labeled the current administration as “one of the most insensitive, vindictive, and grossly maleficent” in the country’s history.

Drawing a parallel with the past, he reminded Nigerians of how former President Olusegun Obasanjo banned his politically charged hit song Jaga Jaga in 2004 — a situation he says is repeating itself.

“I have travelled this road before… this is reminiscent of the ban of my song Jaga Jaga, by the Obasanjo administration 21 years ago!”

NBC Accused of Shielding the Government

Eedris also criticized the NBC’s circular sent to media houses instructing them to avoid airing the song, calling it a deliberate effort to keep Nigerians in the dark.

“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.”

He ended with a thought-provoking line:

“The conscience is an open wound, only the truth can heal it.”

The protest song Tell Your Papa reportedly calls out worsening economic conditions in Nigeria and directly addresses Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, urging him to tell his father that “Nigerians are suffering.”