The Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria has raised concerns over the recent decision by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ban a politically charged song by Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem. The track titled “Tell Your Papa” has stirred strong reactions online, especially due to its direct criticism of Nigeria’s leadership.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, PMAN President Pretty Okafor noted that the ban may unintentionally increase the song’s popularity.
“The first major mistake is banning the song because it’s going to make the song even go viral right now. Those who haven’t heard about the song or haven’t even listened to it will go now to look for the song and will start promoting it. The song has practically pinched the government somewhere, that’s why they ordered for the ban. So, there is already a mistake that has been made by the NBC or even the government by paying attention to that particular song.”
While PMAN is not taking direct action in support of Abdulkareem due to the sensitive nature of the issue, Okafor said the association is closely monitoring the situation. He noted that the current hardship facing Nigerians is reflected in the song’s message.
“We don’t have the power to offer the artiste support right now because it is a very sensitive issue, so, we need to be careful. We will just be watching because people are dying and the suffering is too much. How do we repair the economy? We cannot pretend that all is well. The song is telling us the truth, and there is nothing wrong with that song.”
NBC’s decision was based on the alleged “objectionable nature” of the song’s lyrics. In a memo dated April 9, 2025, the commission instructed broadcast stations to avoid playing the track, citing a breach of Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. This section disallows the airing of content considered indecent or offensive to public standards.
In a statement signed by the Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, Susan Obi, the NBC said: “The National Broadcasting Commission has identified the song ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem, currently trending on social media, as content deemed inappropriate for broadcast due to its objectionable nature. It is, therefore, classified as Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB), as it violates Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. The commission requests that your station exercises discretion and refrains from airing this song to maintain responsible broadcasting standards.”
The controversial song, which went viral earlier this week, directly addresses Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu. Abdulkareem challenges Seyi to speak to his father about the widespread economic suffering in the country. The song includes lines such as: “Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die. Tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga.”
