Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has strongly condemned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for banning Eedris Abdulkareem’s song criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement released on Sunday, Soyinka described the ban as a dangerous return to censorship and a direct threat to freedom of expression. Drawing on Nigeria’s historical struggle with artistic repression, he emphasized that the move echoes previous efforts to silence socio-political commentary.
Soyinka humorously referenced a cartoon that critiqued the situation and ironically suggested the ban didn’t go far enough, saying, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned — the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN or whatever musical association he belongs to should also be axed.”
Although Soyinka admitted he hadn’t listened to the song in question, he stressed that the core issue isn’t the song’s content but the attack on a basic democratic right — the freedom to express dissent through art.
He noted the irony in such censorship, highlighting how it often benefits the targeted artist. “Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank,” he said, suggesting the ban may have inadvertently boosted the song’s popularity.
Soyinka warned that repeated acts of censorship are not only counterproductive but deeply harmful to democratic development.
“We’ve seen this cycle many times. It’s boring, a waste of time, and most dangerously, subversive to the right of free expression,” he concluded.
What are your thoughts on the ban? Do you think artistic freedom is under threat in Nigeria? Share your views in the comments and follow NIGPOST for more stories on politics, culture, and expression.
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