The family of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti frowned at the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate Bola Tinubu for the use of the late artiste’s song for the 2023 election campaign.
Femi Kuti in a “disclaimer and notice of use without consent” for the Fela Anikulapo-Kuti family said the use of Fela’s popular song “Eko Ile” during one of its campaign activities for their 2023 presidential campaign was unauthorised.
The Kuti family said it wished to continue to be politically neutral.
“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,” Fela Anikulapo-Kuti family said.
“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.”
Tinubu and the members of the APC presidential campaign council held a rally last Saturday at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos State.
Fela’s popular song “Eko Ile” was used in a video recap of the rally by Tinubu on Twitter.
Speaking at the rally, Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor promised to form a progressive government with massive investment in education, health, infrastructure, and job creation if elected as president, even as he assured Nigerians of better days ahead.
Tinubu thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to the development of Nigeria and Lagos State.
He said, “I specially thank President Muhammadu Buhari for the unprecedented federal support and commitment to Lagos State. We have come a long way from Presidents whose sole obsession was to capture or conquer Lagos in do-or-die fashion, to a President who loves the state greatly and is keen to see it do very well.”
Tinubu and the APC are yet to respond to the disclaimer by the Fela Anikulapo-Kuti family.
THEGUARDIAN
