Afrobeat singer Femi Kuti has alleged that some people threatened to burn down the New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja over reports that he called supporters of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi ‘zombies’.
The 60-year-old said this in a video posted on Instagram on Friday night, where he insisted he never called Mr Obi’s supporters ‘zombies’.
On Friday, reports that he described the LP candidate’s supporters as zombies emerged.
The singer immediately debunked the report, describing it as misleading.
In a performance at the Afrika Shrine on Thursday night, Mr Kuti said that at 60, he could not be obedient.
Supporters of the LP candidate refer to themselves as ‘Obidients’.
The threat
Despite clearing the air, the singer said he woke up to a barrage of insults and abuses by people whom he described as Mr Obi’s supporters.
He said, “I woke up today to insults abusing me, my family and my children, threatening that they will burn the shrine because they said I said Peter Obi’s supporters are zombies.”
Clearing the air, Mr Kuti said that he was too angry, too sad, and depressed to be obedient.
“How can anybody come up with that term? I cannot be ‘Obedient’ in this country with END SARS killings, my grandmother was killed, my father’s house burnt, and I’m supposed to be obedient.
“Did I call Peter Obi supporters zombies? Did I say that? No. What does ‘obedient’ mean? I wouldn’t say I like that terminology for myself and will never use it.
“Nothing can make me obedient. I’m too angry, too sad, too depressed to be. Stop threatening to burn the shrine, stop threatening my children, stop that rubbish,” he said.
He went on to express his reservations about Mr Obi’s candidacy.
He said, “Obi went to greet Obasanjo. That makes me sceptical. Obi went to meet Babangida. Who? Me? My family believes these people are a part of the problem in this country.
“Well, some people will say no. That is your business; you have the right to think like that if that is what you believe is good for you. But you, too, cannot tell me how to think.
“I have my reservations. I do. You cannot tell me not to have reservations.”
What transpired
An online publication reported his speech at the Afrika Shrine with the headline, ‘Femi Kuti says Obidients are zombies’.
In its report, the publication likened the Grammy nominee’s speech to his Father’s 1976 acclaimed song, ‘Zombie’.
The publication quoted the ‘Sorry Sorry’ crooner said, “You know what obedience means? Stand up, sit down, sit there — zombie.”
In his response, Mr Kuti said that the publication took his words out of context.
“You are such liars. What benefit is it to the people when you take my words out of context like this?”
He further added that he also gave his reasons for not trusting anyone else too in the present Nigerian political arena.
What actually happened
From the clip posted by People’s Gazette on YouTube, it appeared that Mr Kuti had paused a performance to talk about the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “At 60, why am I obedient? All my life, I don’t even remember a good time.
“I fear for my children; you say I should be obedient. Sit down. Be peaceful. That’s the meaning of obedience. ‘Obedient’, that was the Vice President of Atiku?
“Are you all ok in this country? Be obedient to who? Dem don suffer my life, make I come still dey stand up, obedient.”
