Eedris Abdulkareem
By Akeem Atoyebi
Nigerian hip-hop veteran Eedris Abdulkareem, who is currently trending for his new release, has alleged that he was offered a N200million bribe by an anonymous individual who claimed to be a senator, as a result of his music and activism.
According to him in a viral video making the round, the offer was made under the pretext of underground support for his latest protest anthem.
The radical rapper’s claim came amidst ban of his latest protest song, ‘Tell Your Papa’, by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Abdulkareem noted that the person who reached out to him on the phone claiming to be a senator, gave him an offer of N200million as a form of support for the viral song, “Tell Your Papa”, and activism.
He said, “So I got a call from one criminal who claimed to be a honourable; he didn’t even allow me to hear his name. After claiming to be a honourable, at the end of the call when I asked him what his name was, he claimed to be a senator.
“He told me that he was in a meeting yesterday with Seyi (a son to President Bola Tinubu), and some government officials. He said, ‘They are going to call you and bribe you, don’t listen to them, we are going to be sponsoring you underground’. I then asked him, ‘who told you that I need anything’?”
Abdulkareem stated that he immediately turned down the offer, questioning the motive behind such a proposal.
“Immediately I heard his voice, I knew he was sent by them. So, I told him I was not interested . He said, ‘We will give you N200m, don’t even listen to them’. So, I asked him, the video I shot, was it you who sponsored me underground?’
“You guys should go and rest somewhere, I am not interested. Thieves, may God punish all of you. It’s me that you guys want to record for caricature; you people are insane. I have prepared for you people a long time ago,” he said.
He further accused those behind the alleged offer of plotting to manipulate and discredit him.
The controversial song Tell Your Papa, which challenges political leadership and economic hardship in Nigeria, was officially banned on Thursday, April 10 by NBC.
However, the decision has sparked backlash from civil society and music industry stakeholders.
The Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) criticized the ban, warning that it could backfire.
“It only serves to amplify the song’s reach and relevance in light of the current socio-economic challenges facing Nigerians,” a statement from the association read.
Similarly, the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) condemned the NBC’s action as a “blatant abuse of regulatory power.”
In a statement issued by Programme Officer, Ayomide Eweje, the group accused the commission of abandoning its impartial role.
“The NBC has completely confused its role as a supposedly independent media regulatory body with that of a propaganda agency charged with shielding the government from criticism or embarrassment,” the statement read.
As public discourse around censorship, freedom of expression, and accountability grows, Abdulkareem’s bold stance has reignited conversations about the power of protest music in Nigeria’s democratic space.
