Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC) ban on the broadcast of Eedris Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Papa,” describing it as a violation of freedom of expression and the right to access information.
In a statement released on its official Facebook page, Amnesty International stated that 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 called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately direct NBC to withdraw the ban, emphasising that the song’s criticism of those in power is not grounds for censorship.
Amnesty International argued that the Nigerian people have a right to freedom of expression and that there is no legal justification for prohibiting the song from being aired on radio and television. The organization also criticised NBC’s reliance on the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, which they called deeply flawed, as a basis for the ban. Amnesty stressed that such actions represent an increasing intolerance of dissenting voices in Nigeria.
The statement further highlighted that the ban is incompatible with the right to access information and media freedom. It called for the urgent repeal of heavy censorship regulations by NBC, which have been used to limit freedom of expression in the country. Amnesty warned that the arbitrary nature of the ban would create a chilling effect on media outlets, potentially silencing artists and stifling creativity.
Amnesty International also pointed out that the ban violates Nigeria’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights protecting freedom of expression.
The organisation urged President Tinubu’s government to act swiftly and reverse the ban to avoid further promoting censorship and creating a climate of fear and repression.
This comes after the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian government and the NBC, demanding the immediate reversal of the ban on Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Papa.”
