‘They Tried To Bribe Me’, Singer Eedris Abdulkareem Alleges After NBC Ban On Protest Song

Nigerian veteran rapper and activist, Eedris Abdulkareem, has alleged an attempt by unnamed persons to bribe him with N200 million following the ban of his controversial protest single – ‘Tell Your Papa’ – a diss song against President Bola Tinubu government.

In a video shared on social media, Abdulkareem narrated how he received a phone call from an unknown caller who introduced himself as an ‘Honourable’ and later claimed to be a ‘Senator’, suggesting that he was a politician sympathetic to the incumbent government.

According to the artist, the caller admitted he was speaking on behalf of top government figures, including Seyi Tinubu, son of President Tinubu.

“Okay my people, how una dey? Make I give una quick update. I got a call from one criminal wey dey call himself Honourable — later he say na Senator. I say ‘ah, this one na ole (thief)’. The idiot come dey tell me say yesterday he dey meeting with Seyi and the government, say dem dey try reach me to bribe me. I tell am say I no dey interested,” Abdulkareem recounted in Pidgin English.

He claimed the caller promised a payment of N200 million and offered to “sponsor” him underground. “He said, ‘We will give you N200 million, don’t listen to them. We’ll sponsor you underground.’ I asked him, ‘who told you I needed anything – if na una sponsor the video I shoot? Make una go siddon somewhere. I no dey interested. What’s wrong with you people?” he said.

A visibly upset Abdulkareem added, “Na me una wan record use do caricature? Una dey craze. I don prepare una tey tey.”

LEADERSHIP reports that the revelation came just days after the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) issued a nationwide ban on Abdulkareem’s latest single, ‘Tell Your Papa’, labelling it “objectionable” and in violation of Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which prohibits content deemed inappropriate or offensive for public broadcast on radio and TV stations.

In a memo dated April 9, 2025, signed by NBC’s Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, Susan Obi, the commission warned all radio and TV stations against airing the track, which it said violated “public decency.”

The directive, titled ‘‘Restriction on Broadcasting ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem,” stated, “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.”

Despite the ban, ‘Tell Your Papa’ has continued to gain traction across social media platforms, especially TikTok, for its searing criticism of Nigeria’s leadership and worsening economic conditions. The song directly addresses President Tinubu’s son, Seyi, calling on him to convey the struggles of ordinary Nigerians to his father-President.

“Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die. Tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga,” Abdulkareem raps in one of the verses.

“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,” he continues.

In a Facebook post reacting to the NBC’s ban, Abdulkareem accused the government of suppressing truth and criticism.

“It’s obvious that in Nigeria, truth and constructive criticism is always deemed as a big crime by the government, and this present government led by President Bola Tinubu is now going on record as one of the most insensitive, vindictive and grossly maleficent administrations ever to preside over the affairs of Nigeria,” he wrote.

He likened the current situation to the early 2000s when former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration banned his similar protest song titled ‘Jaga Jaga’, calling the NBC’s actions an attempt to “hide the candle under the table.”