In yet another move critics see as part of a broader campaign against dissent, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has banned the protest song “Tell Your Papa” by veteran rapper Eedris Abdulkareem from being aired on radio and television.

The directive, contained in an April 9, 2025 memo signed by Susan Obi, the NBC’s Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, cites Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which prohibits content considered “inappropriate, offensive, or in breach of public decency.” The Commission labeled the song “objectionable” and declared it “Not To Be Broadcast” (NTBB), urging stations nationwide to refrain from airing it “to maintain responsible broadcasting standards.”

The track, which has gone viral on social media, directly addresses Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, criticizing the worsening economic and security situation in the country. Abdulkareem urges Seyi to confront his father about the country’s hardships, rapping lines like: “Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die… this one don pass jagajaga.”

The censorship of Abdulkareem’s song marks another flashpoint in what many observers describe as a growing pattern of authoritarianism under Tinubu’s administration. Last August, nationwide protests over fuel subsidy removal and rising inflation were met with mass arrests and heavy police presence. In a widely condemned move, minors were arraigned for treason in Abuja after participating in a peaceful demonstration.

Human rights activists have also increasingly found themselves targeted under the guise of the Cybercrime Act, with online critics and whistleblowers routinely harassed, detained, or dragged to court.

Analysts warn that the ban on “Tell Your Papa”—a protest anthem echoing the frustrations of millions—reflects a deepening intolerance for criticism in a country grappling with mounting insecurity, economic hardship, and shrinking civic space.

“This is not just about a song,” one media rights advocate noted. “It’s about a government that wants to silence every voice that dares to speak truth to power—whether it’s on the streets, in the courts, or on the airwaves.”

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