Tell Your Papa: “ I only replied Seyi Tinubu, didn’t attack him” – Eedris Abdulkareem
Veteran Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem, has clarified that his controversial new song “Tell Your Papa” was not a personal attack on Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but a direct response to a statement he made.
Speaking on Rubbin’ Minds, a programme on Channels Television, the rapper said the track was inspired by Seyi’s recent comments describing his father as “Nigeria’s best-ever president”.
“So, why should I attack Seyi Tinubu personally? Eedris questioned. If Seyi Tinubu never talked about it, I wouldn’t have recorded a song like that. So, I am replying to the video that he made. If he had kept quiet, I wouldn’t have said anything. I am inspired by Seyi Tinubu to record that song.”
He added that the message in the song was a call for the president to address pressing issues facing Nigerians, such as insecurity, lack of electricity, job scarcity, and economic hardship.
“Nigerian youths are just asking for basics: electricity, security, enabling economic environment, job creation and not palliatives,” he said.
Seyi Tinubu had made his remarks in Yola, Adamawa State, in March 2025, sparking widespread reactions online.
Abdulkareem’s response came in the form of the track “Tell Your Papa”, which quickly drew both support and backlash.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) banned the song from radio and television on April 10, citing a violation of broadcasting codes. The move was met with public outrage.
Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka criticized the NBC’s decision, calling it a “return of censorship” and a dangerous threat to free expression. He remarked that banning the song only amplified its reach and popularity.
In the interview, Abdulkareem also expressed disappointment that his 2004 protest song, “Nigeria Jaga Jaga,” remains just as relevant two decades later.
Despite the ban, “Tell Your Papa” has gained significant traction on streaming platforms, with tens of thousands of views and streams recorded within days.
