NBC bans airplay of Eedris Abdulkareem’s controversial song “Tell Your Papa”

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has issued a directive restricting the broadcast of the controversial new track “Tell Your Papa” by veteran Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem.

IDOMA VOICE gathered that the recently released song directly addresses Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, urging him to confront his father about the worsening economic and security situation in Nigeria.

In the track, shared on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Abdulkareem delivers hard-hitting lyrics reflecting the struggles many Nigerians face. He raps:

“Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die. Tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga.

Seyi, how far? I swear your papa no try. Too much empty promises. On behalf of Nigerians, take our message to him; kidnappers dey kill Nigerians.

Seyi, try travel by road without your security make you feel the pains of fellow Nigerians. You dey fly private jets, insecurity no be your problem.”

In a memo dated April 9, 2025, signed by Susan Obi, the Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, NBC officially banned the broadcast of the song across radio and television stations in the country.

The commission labeled the song as Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB) under Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which prohibits content considered offensive, inappropriate, or contrary to public decency from being aired on Nigerian broadcast platforms.

NBC stated that although the song is gaining traction on social media, its content does not align with the principles of responsible broadcasting.

The memo titled “Restriction on Broadcasting ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem” reads:

“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.

Your cooperation and commitment to upholding these standards is greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Susan Obi – Coordinating Director, Broadcast Monitoring.”