In a letter dated April 9, 2025, and signed by the coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, Susan Obi, the NBC ordered all broadcast stations to desist from airing the song, citing its ‘objectionable content’ and claiming it violated Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The commission classified the song as ‘Not To Be Broadcast’ (NTBB).
“The National Broadcasting Commission has identified the song ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem, currently trending on social media, as content deemed inappropriate for broadcast due to its objectionable nature.
“It is therefore classified as Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB), as it violates Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
“The commission requests that your station exercises discretion and refrains from airing this song to maintain responsible broadcasting standards,” the statement posted on Abdulkareem’s Instagram page reads.
However, the ICIR gathered that the ban has instead fueled online promotion, making Tell Your Papa a trending topic across social media, particularly on X and TikTok.
Clips of the track, which contain pointed social commentary, criticise President Bola Tinubu and his son, Seyi Tinubu, over the economic hardships Nigerians are going through.
In the song, Abdulkareem directly addresses President Tinubu’s son, Seyi, calling on him to relay the plight of the average Nigerian to his father.
