Veteran Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem’s protest track, “Tell Your Papa”, has recorded a remarkable milestone despite being banned by the National Broadcasting Commission.
The song, which criticises President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has gathered the attention of several Nigerians and has been making waves on social media.
According to the statistics on YouTube, ‘Tell Your Papa’ has 22,754 views on YouTube with 1,200 likes and the video numbers have since skyrocketed to 82,138 views and 2,600 likes, on YouTube too, indicating a surge in popularity amid the controversy.
On Spotify, the song has also reached a notable milestone with over 30,116 streams, indicating that Nigerians are still streaming the song despite the ban.
The NBC sparked criticism after it banned “Tell Your Papa” from airplay on April 10.
The commission cited a breach of broadcasting code, but Eedris Abdulkareem responded by condemning the government for suppressing dissent and constructive criticism.
He likened the ban to the censorship of his iconic hit “Jaga Jaga” in 2004, accusing the current administration of being “insensitive and vindictive”.
Abdulkareem took to Instagram to express his views on the ban, stating, “It’s obvious that in Nigeria, truth and constructive criticism is always deemed a big crime by the government.”
The ban was also faulted by the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, which predicted that the ban would be counterproductive and make people want to stream it more.
Some fans have also reacted to the ban on the song.
A fan on YouTube, Sheggzyunited, wrote, “Naija government, this is 2025, for goodness sake. There is no single lie in the song.”
Asa Anthony also wrote, “They were too quick to ban it because the message was well passed. We mount on streaming platforms and social media.”
A user on Instagram, directorjoelmatt, said, “Our government don’t like the truth.” (The PUNCH)