A faction of Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere loyal to the leadership of Late Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has upbraided President Bola Tinubu over the ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Papa”.
Afenifere, in a statement on Wednesday signed by its acting Chairman and National Publicity Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Justice Faloye, said that the ban was a direct attack on freedom of speech, one of the tenets of democratic government.
The group said that the song, ‘Tell Your Papa,’ by Abdulkareem was not offensive but a fair response to the atrocious claims made by the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, on the state of the nation.
Afenifere explained that, “The autocratic ban signals a leadership tendency that is disconnected from citizens’ realities, essentially inclined to maintaining autocratic control rather than fostering a milieu of freedom and creativity.
“The ban destroys the principles of democracy, it is evidence of the increasing disregard for dissenting voices in Nigeria, potentially silencing artists and stifling creativity and the progress we need to move forward as a society”.
The group also lamented the growing insecurity in the country, saying that within the first three months of the year 2025, according to HumAngle’s Conflict Tracker, 1,420 Nigerians have died as a result of insecurity while over 537 were reportedly kidnapped across the country.
It explained further that recent attacks by bandits and herdsmen in Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Nasarawa states have led to widespread killings, prompting calls for the Federal Government to urgently ban open grazing and adopt ranching.
The group lamented that in Ondo State, bandits attacked four communities in Akure North Local Government Area, killing 20 people, abducted nine surveyors, while in Benue State, armed herders ambushed and killed three personnel of the state security force, sparking protests that destroyed property.
Afenifere said, “Specifically, we call on the government to deploy effective security strategies to protect lives and property, ensuring Nigerians can live without fear of violence or attack.
“We, again, call for the establishment of state police to complement existing internal security architecture.
“Politics aside, all management principles and best practices inform us that a single police hierarchy is not sufficient to provide the security required by a nation of our size and diversity”
The Yoruba group also urged Tinubu to restructure the country and in the way of operating a true federalism that will help to entrench equity, justice, fairness, as well as peace, security and prosperity of the nation.