Him

Nigerian musicians need to stop insulting our intelligence by dressing up political opportunism as a desperate struggle for survival. Every time they are seen hobnobbing with Seyi Tinubu and the people in power, suddenly the excuse becomes “I’m working for my money” or “I’m only looking for my daily bread.” Really? So what exactly are we supposed to understand from that? That without APC connections, you would starve? That the only way to put food on your table is to cosy up to a political establishment whose policies and decisions have left millions of Nigerians struggling to afford the very basics of life? Let’s stop pretending this is just about making a living. Nobody is saying you shouldn’t earn money, nobody is demanding that musicians abandon their careers, but there is a difference between working for your money and willingly lending your fame, influence and public image to a political establishment that has inflicted so much hardship on ordinary Nigerians. You cannot enjoy the privileges of proximity to power, collect the benefits that come with it, and then expect the same people suffering under that power to applaud you when you hide behind the excuse of survival. At some point, you have to decide what side of history you want to stand on. Your platform is influence, your voice carries weight, and your silence or association can send a message whether you admit it or not. You cannot constantly preach to the people about resilience while fraternising with the very people whose leadership has made survival an everyday battle for those same people. There is no comfortable fence to sit on when the people are hurting. You either stand with the people and acknowledge their suffering, or you choose to align yourself with the establishment responsible for it. And please, stop insulting our intelligence by calling every questionable political association an innocent hustle. Not every opportunity is worth your integrity, and not every cheque is worth the price of your conscience.