Soyinka describes the development as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression.

In a statement released on Sunday, the literati highlighted past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.

“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre — the cartoon — who sent me his recent graphic comment on the event, I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem,” Soyinka said in the piece posted on PM news.

With a touch of irony, Soyinka suggested that the ban did not go far enough. He remarked, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned — the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN, or whatever musical association of which Abdulkareem is a member, should also go under the hammer.” 

Soyinka said even though he hadn’t listened to the song, he emphasised that the issue transcends content and concerns a fundamental democratic principle.

“It cannot be flouted. That, surely is basic. This is why I feel that we should look on the bright side of any picture and thus recommend the Aleshinloye cartoon — and others in allied vein — as an easy-to-apprehend, easy-to-digest summation of the wisdom of attempting to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary,” he said.

He also pointed out the irony that censorship often benefits the targeted artist, noting that “Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank.”

He maintained that such censorship is counterproductive and dangerous to democratic development.

“We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseum. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizures of the fundamental right of free expression,” the literary icon said.