Babafemi Ojudu Says Wizkid Cannot Measure Up to Fela Even in Ten Lifetimes

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Former presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu, has criticised a Nigerian musician for comparing himself to late Afrobeats legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

The remarks come after Wizkid reportedly engaged in an online feud with Seun Kuti, Fela’s son, claiming that he was greater than the music icon.

In a detailed post on Facebook on Wednesday morning, Ojudu described Fela as an unmatched cultural and musical icon, whose influence spans generations.

“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,” Ojudu wrote.

Ojudu highlighted Fela’s enormous contributions to music, activism, and African consciousness, describing him as “a movement, a conscience, a revolution in human form.”

“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 worldwide, sampled by global superstars, and performed on the world’s greatest stages,” he said.

He praised Fela’s courage and originality, noting that his music challenged oppression and corruption during Nigeria’s military era, while reshaping 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.”

Ojudu recounted Fela’s personal sacrifices, including the murder of his mother, the destruction of his home—the Kalakuta Republic, and repeated state harassment, adding that the musician remained defiant throughout.

“His mother was murdered by the state. His house 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.”

In a pointed rebuke, Ojudu said that anyone daring to compare themselves to Fela must first endure the persecution and struggles the music legend faced.

“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.”

He highlighted Fela’s enduring legacy as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, philosopher, and cultural theorist, whose influence continues to command global respect.

“Fela did not chase acceptance. The world came to him. So, whoever this fellow is, if he indeed made such a claim, should simply 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.”