Song criticising President banned

Nigerian authorities have banned broadcasters from playing the song Tell Your Papa, which criticises the country's leader, reports BBC News. Artist Eedris Abdulkareem's lyrics slam President Bola Tinubu and urge his influential son, Seyi, to let his father know ‘people are dying’ through hardship and insecurity and there is ‘hunger’ in the country. In a letter to TV and radio stations, the National Broadcast Commission (NBC) ordered the track not to be played, saying it violates the country's broadcast code. The NBC said it considered Tell Your Papa's content to be ‘inappropriate’ and ‘objectionable’ adding that it falls short of public decency standards. Released early last week, the song has gained a lot of attention on social media in Nigeria and has sparked debate regarding the economic and security situation in the country. On becoming President in May 2023, Tinubu introduced a number of economic reforms which increased the cost of living. There are also worries about the level of insecurity in the country with kidnapping-for-ransom still a major issue and fears that Islamist militant group Boko Haram could make a resurgence in the north-east. On the track, in a mix of English, Yoruba and Pidgin, Abdulkareem tells Tinubu's son that his father ‘is not trying’ and that he has made ‘too many empty promises’. When it comes to insecurity, the artist urges Seyi to travel by road, instead of private jet, to experience the dangers faced by ordinary Nigerians. Tinubu's government has in the past defended its economic policies saying that the President was aiming to put the country on a stable footing in the long term.

Full BBC News report