Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem has clarified that his recent song was not a personal attack on Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, but a response to the younger Tinubu’s public praise of his father as Nigeria’s greatest president.

Seyi Tinubu made the statement in March 2025 while speaking in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds programme on Sunday, Abdulkareem said his new track, Tell Your Papa, was a reaction to Seyi’s comments and a call for the President to address Nigeria’s worsening economic and security situation.

“Nigerian youths are only asking for the basics: electricity, security, a supportive economic environment, job creation—not palliatives,” Abdulkareem said.

“Why would I attack Seyi Tinubu personally? If he hadn’t made that statement, I wouldn’t have released such a song. I was inspired by his video. If he had stayed silent, I would have had no reason to respond.”

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) swiftly banned the song from airing on radio and television, describing it as inappropriate. The decision has been criticised by many Nigerians, including Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, who labelled it a return to censorship and a threat to free speech.

Reflecting on the enduring relevance of his 2001 protest anthem Nigeria Jaga Jaga, Abdulkareem lamented the country’s persistent underdevelopment.

He said, “I saw the video where Seyi was campaigning for his father, repeating that ‘my father is the best president’ multiple times. But silence, sometimes, is more powerful than speaking. I’d advise him to leave the microphone to the MC next time. He lacks the charisma and clarity to speak on the country’s real economic situation.”

The rapper further stated that while President Tinubu might be the best father to Seyi, the same could not be said of his relationship with Nigerian youths.

“He has empowered his son, but Nigerian youths are jobless and hungry. They can’t travel safely by road. I challenge Seyi Tinubu to travel by road without a security escort and experience what ordinary Nigerians go through,” he said.