A former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Former President Muhammadu Buhari, Babafemi Ojudu, has condemned recent claims by singer Ayodeji “Wizkid” Balogun that he is superior to Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, calling for the music star to be ignored.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that an online feud between the ‘Ojuelgba’ crooner and one of Fela’s sons, Seun Kuti, led to Wizkid saying he is greater than the Afrobeat legend, and asking Seun what he would do about it
|
|
The online dispute between Wizkid and Seun began after members of Wizkid FC described the singer as a “modern-day Fela”, while Seun dismissed the notion, saying Fela was greater.
Reacting to Wizkid’s claims in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Mr Ojudu, who also represented Ekiti Central Senatorial District between 2011 and 2015, argued that contemporary artistes must establish a revolutionary legacy before they can be compared with the late singer.
|
|
|---|
Fela’s Legacy
He stated the significant achievements of Fela, noting that the Afrobeat legend’s music was not only sampled and performed by global superstars and on the world’s greatest stages, but also studied in universities across the world.
The politician, also a veteran journalist, insisted the late Fela was more than a musician, pointing to his actions in the face of military dictatorships and “unapologetic resistance to oppression,” which he said were instrumental in fighting corruption and injustice in the era of the ‘Zombie’ singer.
“Is it true that a Nigerian youngster said he is greater than Fela? I sincerely hope he was misquoted. Even if he were to live ten lifetimes, his art and his life could not measure up to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Is it in art? Is it in music? Is it in activism, courage, or originality?
“Fela was not just a musician; he was a movement, a conscience, a revolution in human form. His music gave birth to Afrobeat, a genre now studied in universities across the world, sampled by global superstars, and performed on the world’s greatest stages. From Lagos to London, New York to Berlin, Fela’s sound reshaped global music and African identity.
“Fela stood alone, fearless in the face of military dictatorships, unapologetic in his resistance to oppression. He used his music as a weapon against injustice, corruption, colonial mentality, and state violence. For this, he was arrested over 200 times, brutalised, imprisoned, tortured, exiled, and silenced, yet never broken,” he explained.
Kalakuta Republic
Mr Ojudu, who served in the office of the vice president between 2016 and 2022, also highlighted the consequences the late singer faced because of his music style, noting that these challenges further pushed him to produce more revolutionary music.
He, however, added that modern-day artistes must walk through the corridors of “Nigerian jailhouses” to be on the same pedestal with the Afrobeat pioneer, stating that Fela was a philosopher and cultural theorist whose music is timeless.
“The state murdered his mother. His house, the Kalakuta Republic, was burned to the ground. His property was seized. He was flogged, beaten, and jailed from Alagbon to Panti, hounded by police and soldiers alike. Yet, after every assault, Fela returned with sharper lyrics, deeper rhythms, and more defiant truth.
“For any young person, musician or not, to compare himself to Fela, he must first walk the corridors of Nigerian jailhouses: Lagos, Maiduguri, Benin. He must endure police cells and military tribunals. He must lose everything, go into exile, and still return with his creative spirit intact.
“Fela was a multi-instrumentalist, a composer, bandleader, philosopher, and cultural theorist. He could play virtually every instrument in his band, wrote complex compositions lasting 15 to 30 minutes, and fused jazz, highlife, funk, Yoruba rhythms, and political poetry into something entirely original, something timeless,” he said.
Records
Mr Ojudu further pointed to Fela’s achievements on the global stage, while faulting Wizkid’s claims. He noted that the singer lacks the qualities to be more than the late Fela, adding that Wizkid may flee the country in the face of a crisis.
“Globally, Fela is honoured as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, a cultural icon whose life inspired Broadway productions, documentaries, books, and academic studies, a symbol of African resistance and intellectual freedom, and a voice for the oppressed, long after his death.
“Fela did not chase acceptance. The world came to him. So, whoever this fellow is, if he indeed made such a claim, should be ignored. He may be one of those who would flee the country the moment the police knock once on his car window in Ojuelegba.
“Fela did not run. Fela stood. Fela fought. And Fela remains immortal. Anikulapo, the man who carried death in his pouch,” Mr Ojudu concluded.
READ ALSO: Hilda Baci achieves third Guiness World Record
Additionally, nearly three decades after his death, the Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was inducted into the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame on 12 June 2025, for his classic 1976 album, Zombie.
The Recording Academy also announced Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti as a Special Merit Awards honoree at the 2026 Grammy Awards, on 20 December 2025, as part of the posthumous recognition bestowed on Fela in recent times.
