Amnesty International Condemns NBC Ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s ‘Tell Your Papa’

Amnesty International Nigeria has criticised the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for banning Eedris Abdulkareem’s politically charged song “Tell Your Papa”, calling the move a violation of fundamental human rights and an abuse of regulatory power.

Amnesty International condemned the act in a statement published on its official Facebook page, describing NBC’s decision as an infringement on the right to freedom of expression and access to information.

“The ban, which categorized the song as ‘Not To Be Broadcast’ for its critical tone towards the government, is an abuse of power,” the organisation declared.

Amnesty called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action by instructing the NBC to lift the ban, asserting that criticism of political leadership should not be met with censorship.

“The song’s criticism of those in power is not grounds for censorship,” the organisation stated, emphasizing that Nigerians have a legal and moral right to express dissent and to hear dissenting voices.

The organisation also questioned the legal basis for the ban, stating: “There is no legal justification for prohibiting the song from being aired on radio and television.” It went on to criticise the NBC’s reliance on the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, which it described as “deeply flawed.”

Amnesty warned that the decision signals growing intolerance for opposing views within Nigeria and is a threat to media freedom. “Such actions represent an increasing intolerance of dissenting voices in Nigeria,” the statement read.

The rights group further argued that the NBC’s action is “incompatible with the right to access information and media freedom,” and called for the urgent repeal of restrictive regulations that it said are regularly used to muzzle freedom of expression in the country.

The organisation warned of the broader consequences of the ban, saying its arbitrary nature could produce “a chilling effect on media outlets, potentially silencing artists and stifling creativity.”

The group urged President Tinubu’s administration to “act swiftly and reverse the ban to avoid further promoting censorship and creating a climate of fear and repression.”

Amnesty’s statement follows a similar demand from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian government and NBC, insisting on an immediate reversal of the broadcast ban on Tell Your Papa.