 has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu’s administration){kind=link}
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), demanding that the broadcast ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s new song, Tell Your Papa, be overturned.
Describing the NBC’s move as “unconstitutional” and “a clear breach of freedom of expression,” SERAP, in a statement issued Thursday night, insisted the action violates Nigeria’s democratic principles.
The song, which heavily criticizes the government and specifically targets President Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, has sparked widespread debate since its release earlier this week.
The NBC, in a directive dated April 9, 2025, said the song contained “objectionable content” and declared it Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB) under Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The order, signed by Susan Obi, Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, urged all broadcasters to refrain from playing the track.
“It is classified as NTBB because it contains content deemed inappropriate for public broadcast,” Obi stated.
“We ask stations to comply in the interest of maintaining ethical broadcasting standards.”
However, SERAP has challenged the directive, calling it an attempt to silence critical voices.
“This ban is illegal, unjustified, and a blatant attempt to silence dissent,” the group said. “The Tinubu administration must immediately reverse the unlawful ban.”
SERAP warned that it would take legal steps should the order not be rescinded within two days.
“We’ll see in court if the ban is not reversed within 48 hours,” the group threatened.
The ban has drawn criticism from civil society groups, human rights activists, and creatives, who see it as a troubling sign of rising authoritarianism.