Femi Kuti: Yoruba People Among My Family’s Greatest Enemies

Grammy-nominated Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has made a bold statement, revealing that some of his family’s greatest enemies come from their own ethnic group, the Yoruba.

Speaking at the 2024 Felaberation Festival in Lagos, Kuti specifically mentioned former President Olusegun Obasanjo and late business mogul MKO Abiola as notable adversaries of the Kuti family.

Kuti emphasized that his family doesn’t subscribe to tribalism, thanks to their upbringing inspired by pan-Africanists like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. “We grew up with pan-Africanism as our guiding principle,” he said. “I’ve learned to see people beyond ethnicity – good people, bad people, regardless of their background.”

He urged the audience to look beyond tribal lines, saying, “Please, do not bring the Anikulapos into your stupidity. Ethnic problems, or tribalism, are detrimental to our progress.”

Kuti’s statement comes amidst rising ethnic tensions in Nigeria, with notable figures like Atiku Abubakar condemning threats against the Yoruba and Edo people.