Rights Group Slams NBC Over Song Ban

Rights advocacy organisation Global Rights has criticised the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for banning the broadcast of Eedris Abdulkareem’s protest song “Tell Your Papa” on Nigerian radio and television stations.

The group demanded that the ban be immediately rescinded and a public apology issued. It further called on the Tinubu administration to cease all actions undermining free speech and democratic values.

In a statement issued by Damilola Decker, Programme Officer for Civic Space at Global Rights, the group said NBC’s failure to offer any legal or reasonable justification for the ban suggests that the move is politically motivated rather than regulatory. The song, which critiques President Tinubu’s leadership and policy failures, appears to have been targeted solely for its critical message—something Global Rights described as unacceptable in a democracy.

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“The ban is not only undemocratic but also unconstitutional,” the statement read. “Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression. Additionally, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory, upholds this right through any media of choice. The NBC’s action contravenes both domestic law and international obligations.”

Referencing Nigeria’s controversial 2019 Twitter ban—ruled unlawful by the ECOWAS Court of Justice—Global Rights warned that such acts further tarnish the country’s democratic image.

The group also cited recent cases of repression, including that of Ushie Uguamaye, a National Youth Service Corps member allegedly intimidated for criticising Tinubu, and 18-year-old Hamdiyya Sidi Shariff, who was arrested in Sokoto after posting a TikTok video on rising insecurity. Her prosecution, they said, represents another assault on freedom of expression.

“The methods may differ—through courts, censorship, or arbitrary arrests—but the goal is the same: silence dissent and punish critics,” the statement said.

Global Rights issued four key demands: the immediate reversal of the song ban and a public apology from NBC; defiance of the directive by media houses; an end to Ms Shariff’s prosecution and her release; and a call for the Tinubu administration to recommit to democratic norms.

“President Tinubu has long claimed to be a democrat. It’s time to prove it,” the group concluded. “In a democracy, criticism is not a threat but a right. Nigerians will not be silenced.”