The family of Fela Kuti, the late Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and Afrobeat pioneer, has issued a warning against the use of the music icon’s music by politicians.
The family issued a statement opposing the use of the Afrobeat crooner’s song in any political campaign.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) used Fela’s popular song “Eko Ile” during one of its campaign activities for their 2023 presidential campaign.
The action sparked a lot of debate among Nigerians who had speculated that the Kuti family was endorsing the APC party.
Reacting via his verified social media pages, Femi Kuti stated that the APC’s move was not authorized by the Kuti family and that the Kuti family had always been politically neutral. His post reads:
“DISCLAIMER AND NOTICE OF USE WITHOUT CONSENT.
We the administrators of the estate of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti issue this disclaimer. We wish to state here for clarity, that the permission of the estate was not sought for the use of Fela’s music, Eko Ile, in the All Progressives Congress social media campaign currently making the rounds.
“We do not involve Fela’s music in any political campaign at home or abroad and choose to remain neutral. While we wish all candidates the best, we demand that the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are abided by and intellectual property rights are duly respected.
Signed the estate of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.”