A faction of the Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, loyal to the late Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the recent ban placed on Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem’s controversial song, “Tell Your Papa.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday and jointly signed by the group’s Acting Chairman, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, and National Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, Afenifere described the ban as “a direct attack on freedom of speech,” warning that it undermines democratic values.
“The autocratic ban signals a leadership tendency that is disconnected from citizens’ realities, essentially inclined to maintaining autocratic control rather than fostering a milieu of freedom and creativity,” the statement read.
The group argued that Abdulkareem’s song, which was reportedly a reaction to comments made by President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, was not offensive but a “fair and justified” response to what it called “atrocious claims” about the state of the nation.
Afenifere warned that the suppression of artistic expression threatens democracy and sets a dangerous precedent.
“The ban destroys the principles of democracy and is evidence of the increasing disregard for dissenting voices in Nigeria, potentially silencing artists and stifling the creativity and progress we need to move forward as a society,” it said.
