‘Tell Your Papa’: Eedris Rejects ₦200M Bribe
Eedris Abdulkareem, a veteran in Nigerian hip-hop, alleged that someone who identified himself to be a senator offered him bribe of N200 million as payment for his music and activism.
Abdulkareem noted in his video going round, the offer was under the guise of underground support for his latest protest anthem.
This claim by the musician came amidst the prohibition of the singer’s protest latest song “Tell Your Papa” by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Abdulkareem further added that the person who called him on the phone as a senator offered him 200 million naira as a support for the viral song, “Tell Your Papa”, activism.
He said, “So I got that call from one criminal who claimed to be an honorabler. He didn’t even allow me to hear his name. After claiming to be an honorable, at the end of the call when I asked him what his name was, he claimed to be a senator.”
“Yesterday he told me that he was in a meeting with Seyi (a son to President Bola Tinubu) and some government officials. He said, ‘They are going to call you and bribe you, don’t listen to them, we are going to be sponsoring you underground.’ I then asked him, ‘who told you that I need anything’?”
He immediately rejected the offer, “I don’t understand why someone would do such.”
“I’m immediately obviating his voice; I knew he was being sent by them, so I told him I’m not interested. In return, he says, ‘We will give you N200m; don’t even listen to them’.
So I asked him, the video I shot, was it you who sponsored me underground?”
“You guys should go and rest somewhere; I am not interested. Thieves, may God punish all of you. It is me that you guys want to record for caricature; you people are insane. I have prepared for you people a long time ago,” he said.
He again accused the masterminds of the alleged plot to manipulate and discredit him.
The controversial song Tell Your Papa, which questions political leadership and economic hardships in Nigeria, was officially prohibited on Thursday, April 10, by NBC.
The decision, however, sparked uproar from civil society and music industry stakeholders.
The Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) decried the ban, warning that it might backfire.
“This only serves to make all forms of noise about the song in the face of the current socio-economic challenges facing Nigerians,” reads the statement by the association.
The same way, the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has condemned the action taken by the NBC as “offensive abuse of regulatory power.”
According to a statement from Programme Officer, Ayomide Eweje, the group charged the commission with abandoning its impartial role.
“The NBC has completely confused its supposed independent media regulatory status with that of a propaganda agency charged with shielding the government from criticism or embarrassment,” read the statement.
As public discourse continues to unravel around themes such as censorship, freedom of expression, and accountability, the recent bold stance taken by Abdulkareem on issues has reignited conversations regarding the issues.
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