Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent tribute to the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, describing it as hypocritical.
Sowore made the remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday, shortly after President Tinubu released an official statement celebrating Fela’s posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In his message, the President praised Fela as a bold voice of the oppressed, crediting him with challenging injustice through music and shaping Afrobeat into a globally recognised genre. Tinubu noted that Fela’s influence continues to inspire musicians and activists across generations.
Reacting, Sowore argued that such praise sharply contradicts the current political climate, insisting that Fela would have faced severe repression if he were alive today. According to Sowore, Fela’s history of confronting authority would have put him directly at odds with those currently in power.
“If Fela Anikulapo-Kuti were alive today, he would almost certainly have clashed with the political establishment,” Sowore wrote. He claimed that after openly criticising Tinubu, Fela would likely have been arrested and charged by security agencies, possibly under cybercrime-related laws.
Sowore further suggested that Fela’s longstanding advocacy for the poor, including his condemnation of forced demolitions, would have attracted further retaliation. He alleged that such actions could have led to security forces targeting Fela’s shrine, recalling similar incidents during the musician’s lifetime.
The activist also claimed that political enforcers in Lagos might have been deployed to disrupt Fela’s performances, punishing him for what would be perceived as disrespect toward the President.
Sowore’s comments underscore persistent concerns among activists about freedom of expression and state intolerance of dissent. His remarks have reignited debate over how radical voices like Fela’s would navigate Nigeria’s current political environment if they existed today.
