“They’d Arrest Him Today” — Sowore Says Tinubu Govt Wouldn’t Tolerate Fela If He Were Alive

Former presidential candidate and rights activist Omoyele Sowore has said that legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti would have faced severe state repression if he were alive in Nigeria’s current political climate under President Bola Tinubu.

Sowore made the claim in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, reacting to the recent posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award conferred on Fela by the Recording Academy.

Grammy Honour, Presidential Praise

Fela was recently honoured with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, also known as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, given to individuals who have made a profound and lasting impact on music.

President Tinubu celebrated the recognition, describing Fela as an “eternal icon” and the first African to receive the award.

In a personally signed statement titled “Fela Lives,” Tinubu said the late musician was “more than a musician,” calling him a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound.

“He defined Afrobeat, and his influence can be heard and seen in generations of Nigerian musicians, in Afrobeats and beyond,” the President said, adding that Fela’s legacy remains eternal.

Sowore Pushes Back

However, Sowore argued that the same defiant spirit being celebrated today would have placed Fela on a direct collision course with the present government.

According to him, Fela’s habit of openly criticising political leaders and institutions would have led to his arrest by security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), on charges such as cybercrime.

Sowore also suggested that Fela’s opposition to the demolition of poor people’s homes, especially in Lagos, would have attracted further retaliation from the state.

He claimed that the Nigeria Police Force might have responded by teargassing Fela’s shrine, while political thugs in Lagos could have been deployed to disrupt his performances as punishment for what would be termed disrespect toward Tinubu, popularly known as Asiwaju.

“If Fela Anikulapo-Kuti were still alive, he would almost certainly have clashed with today’s political power,” Sowore wrote. “After calling Tinubu a criminal, he would likely have been arrested and charged with cybercrime.”

A History of Defiance

Fela, who died in 1997, was notorious for his relentless criticism of corruption, authoritarianism and social injustice, often paying a heavy price through repeated arrests, harassment and violent state crackdowns.

He famously survived the 1977 military raid on his Kalakuta Republic, an attack that cemented his status as one of Africa’s most fearless cultural and political figures.

Widely regarded as the King of Afrobeat, Fela fused jazz, highlife, funk and traditional Yoruba rhythms with radical political messaging. His influence continues to shape contemporary Nigerian and global music, inspiring artistes such as Burna Boy, Wizkid and several international acts.

SOURCE : NaijaRush Assignment Desk