The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sued the National Broadcasting Commission over what it described as the “arbitrary and unlawful” ban of Eedris Abdulkareem’s song Tell Your Papa.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and made available to journalists on Sunday.
The song, reportedly critical of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, was banned from broadcast for allegedly violating “public decency standards”.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/797/2025 and filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is seeking an order to set aside NBC’s directive, describing it as inconsistent with the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.
SERAP is also seeking “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the NBC — whether jointly or severally — or any other authority, person, or group of persons from preventing the airing of Eedris Abdulkareem’s song on all broadcast stations and similar media platforms in Nigeria.”
Additionally, SERAP is seeking “a declaration that NBC’s directive, issued via a letter dated April 9, 2025, to all broadcast stations in Nigeria banning the airing of Eedris Abdulkareem’s song, is unlawful and inconsistent and incompatible with the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.”
Filed by Oluwadare and two other lawyers, the suit states that the ban fails the legal tests of necessity and proportionality, and violates Nigerian and international laws on freedom of expression.
SERAP added, “Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code is overbroad and excessively intrusive, as it breaches the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.”
The organisation maintained that artistic expression plays a critical role in democratic discourse and that censorship stifles social debates and undermines democratic values.
“The ban on Eedris’ song fails to meet the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality.
“The requirement of necessity also implies an assessment of the proportionality of the grounds, with the aim of ensuring that the excuse of ‘objectionable nature’ and ‘public decency’ is not used as a pretext to ban Eedris’ song and unduly intrude upon Nigerians’ human rights,” SERAP stated.
The statement added, “Article 19(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights establishes the right to freedom of opinion without interference. Article 19(2) establishes Nigeria’s obligations to respect ‘the right to freedom of expression,’ which includes the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information, regardless of frontiers.”
“Under Article 19(3), restrictions on the right to freedom of expression must be ‘provided by law’, and necessary ‘for respect of the rights or reputations of others’ or ‘for the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health and morals’.”
