By SUNTV Global | February 2, 2026
Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has stirred fresh political debate following the posthumous recognition of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti by the Recording Academy, warning that the iconic musician would not have been tolerated under Nigeria’s current political climate.
Fela was recently honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed by the Recording Academy on individuals whose creative contributions have had a profound and lasting global impact. Past recipients include music legends such as Aretha Franklin and Dolly Parton.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined Nigerians and the global music community in celebrating the late Afrobeat pioneer, describing Fela as an eternal icon whose influence transcended music.
In a personally signed statement titled “Fela Lives,” President Tinubu hailed the musician as “more than an artist,” portraying him as a fearless voice of the oppressed, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force who used music to confront injustice.
“His courage, creativity and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world,” Tinubu said, adding that in Yoruba cosmology, Fela has ascended to the status of an Orisa, symbolising immortality.
The President also noted that Fela became the first African to receive the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, albeit posthumously, describing the honour as a validation of Africa’s enduring impact on global music culture.
However, reacting to the tributes, Sowore offered a sharply contrasting view.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the activist argued that Fela’s unapologetic defiance of political authority would have placed him in direct conflict with the Tinubu administration if he were alive today.
According to Sowore, Fela would have openly described President Tinubu as a criminal—remarks he believes would have triggered swift retaliation from state security agencies, including arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) on alleged cybercrime charges.
Sowore further claimed that Fela’s vocal opposition to the demolition of poor communities, particularly in Lagos, would have attracted intensified repression, including the possible teargassing of his famous shrine by the Nigeria Police Force.
He also alleged that political thugs in Lagos could have been mobilised to disrupt Fela’s performances as punishment for what authorities might label as “disrespect” toward the President, popularly known as Asiwaju.
“If Fela were alive today, he would almost certainly be arrested for speaking truth to power,” Sowore wrote. “His shrine would likely be teargassed, and his shows attacked—just as he was brutalised during military rule.”
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who died in 1997, was renowned for his relentless criticism of corruption, authoritarianism and social injustice. He endured repeated arrests, harassment and violent raids, including the infamous 1977 military assault on the Kalakuta Republic.
Widely regarded as the King of Afrobeat, Fela fused jazz, funk, highlife and traditional Yoruba rhythms with politically charged lyrics that challenged both military and civilian regimes. His legacy continues to shape contemporary African music and global acts, influencing artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, and others worldwide.
