Afenifere, under the leadership of late Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has issued a strong rebuke against the Federal Government’s ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s “Tell Your Papa.” The group’s acting Chairman and Publicity Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Justice Faloye, labeled the move “a direct attack on freedom of speech.”
According to Afenifere, the song is a justified response to Seyi Tinubu’s remarks about Nigeria’s current state. They asserted, “The autocratic ban signals a leadership tendency that is disconnected from citizens’ realities, essentially inclined to maintaining autocratic control rather than fostering a milieu of freedom and creativity.”
The group warned that the ban “destroys the principles of democracy” and stifles artistic expression. They also raised concerns about the rising insecurity in Nigeria, referencing recent attacks in Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Nasarawa states, and called for urgent reforms, including state policing and restructuring for genuine federalism.
