Soyinka condemns ban on Idris Abdulkareem’s new song.

The Nobel laureate and elder state-man, Professor Wole Soyinka, has criticised the recent ban placed on a song by Nigerian musician, Idris Abdulkareem, calling for the reversal of the action. Abdulkareem, whose song ‘jaga jaga’, which was critical of the then President Obasanjo, has just released a new song titled ‘Tell Your Papa’ directed at President Tinubu’s Son, Seyi,  in which he criticised the president for the worsening economy and hardship in the country.

The Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), reacted to the song, by firing a memo on Wednesday banning the song from being aired on radio and television, claiming it contains objectionable phrases. The action has since sparked outrage from Nigerians.

In a statement he issued from New York University, on Sunday, Soyinka described the ban as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression. According to the elder state-man, the action echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria. Soyinka, noted that any government that is only tolerant of praise-singers and dancers to the official beat, has already commenced a downhill  slide into the abyss.