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NBC Blacklists Eedris Abdulkareem’s Protest Song Tell Your Papa Over Political Content
Eedris Abdulkareem’s newest protest track, Tell Your Papa, has been blacklisted from Nigeria’s airwaves by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which claims the song’s political content violates broadcast standards.
In an official memo dated April 9, 2025, the NBC labeled the song “unsuitable for public broadcast,” referencing Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. According to the commission, the lyrics contain “objectionable” material that fails to align with responsible broadcasting values.
“The National Broadcasting Commission has flagged the song ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem as inappropriate for broadcast,” the directive stated, urging all stations nationwide to avoid airing the track.
Tell Your Papa takes direct aim at Seyi Tinubu, son of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The song confronts Seyi’s public endorsement of his father as “the greatest president in Nigeria’s history” and demands that he acknowledge the everyday suffering of citizens and relay their pain to his father.
The track calls out issues such as economic hardship and national insecurity—sparking both praise and controversy.
This isn’t Abdulkareem’s first tango with censorship. His iconic 2004 track Jaga Jaga, a raw critique of Nigeria’s systemic failures, was similarly banned—earning him both backlash and respect as a fearless voice in Nigerian music.
At the time of this report, neither Eedris Abdulkareem nor Seyi Tinubu has responded publicly to the ban.
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