Veteran rapper Eedris Abdulkareem has revealed that he was offered a bribe to continue criticizing the current government, which he turned down.
In a video shared on social media, Abdulkareem accused an individual claiming to be a senator of offering him N200 million as support for his controversial song, ‘Tell Your Papa’, and his activism. He recounted the phone conversation: “A person, who claimed to be an honorable, contacted me. He didn’t even let me hear his name. When I asked who he was, he said he was a senator.”
According to Abdulkareem, the man told him he had recently attended a meeting with Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, and other government officials. The man allegedly warned him that the government would soon try to bribe him but urged him to ignore their offers, promising to support him privately. Abdulkareem responded, asking, “Who told you that I need anything?”
He continued, “From the moment I heard his voice, I knew he was sent by them. I told him I wasn’t interested. He then insisted they would give me N200 million and that I should ignore the government’s offer. I asked him if he had been the one secretly funding my video. I told him to leave me alone. May God punish all of you. I’m not a fool. I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time.”
The song, which gained significant attention on social media, was banned by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Thursday, April 10. However, the ban was criticized by the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), which argued that it would likely backfire by increasing the song’s exposure, especially amid Nigeria’s ongoing socio-economic difficulties.
Similarly, the Media Rights Agenda condemned the ban, calling it a “blatant abuse of regulatory power.” In a statement, Ayomide Eweje, the group’s Programme Officer, criticized the NBC for confusing its role as an independent media regulator with that of a propaganda tool meant to shield the government from criticism.
