Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent comments on Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, describing them as hypocritical and detached from the musician’s lifelong resistance to state power.
Reacting via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Sowore argued that Fela, whose legacy was recently elevated globally with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, would have been at loggerheads with today’s political leadership if he were still alive.
“If Fela Anikulapo-Kuti were still alive, he would almost certainly have clashed with today’s political power. After publicly calling Tinubu a criminal, he would likely have been arrested, with the DSS charging him cybercrime offences,” Sowore wrote.
He further recalled Fela’s history of confronting state oppression, insisting that the Afrobeat pioneer’s outspoken activism would not have been tolerated in contemporary Nigeria.
“His outspoken condemnation of the demolition of poor people’s homes would have drawn further retaliation, possibly lead the Nigeria Police Force to tear-gas his shrine, just as they once did in response to his protests,” he added.
Sowore also suggested that Fela’s performances would have faced violent disruptions, echoing the harassment the musician endured during his lifetime.
“Meanwhile, Lagos thugs would have been unleashed to disrupt and attack his shows, punishing him for what would be labeled disrespect toward Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he stated.