Edo government reopens spot where rapper Eedris Abdulkareem called Tinubu Nigeria’s worst president

• Eedris Abdulkareem confirmed that the Mega Hall venue he performed at in Edo was shut down after he called President Tinubu “the worst president.”

• The rapper said he appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo, who later reopened the venue and invited him to inspect state projects.

• Nigerians have reacted strongly online, accusing Eedris of backtracking and aligning with the same government he criticised.

Veteran rapper Eedris Abdulkareem is back in the headlines, this time, not for what he said on stage, but for what he said off it. 

In a video circulating on social media on Wednesday, April 16, Eedris confirmed that the Mega Hall event centre in Edo State, where he famously called President Bola Tinubu "the worst president", was shut down by the state government because of his comments. 

He also confirmed that it has since been reopened, and thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo for listening.

The backstory: when Eedris performed at the Benin City venue weeks ago, he did not hold back. 

"Tinubu is the worst president. Anyone supporting APC, may Nigeria happen to you," he told the crowd to loud affirmation, a direct response to the president's widely criticised handling of the Jos attacks, including his decision to address survivors at the airport rather than visit affected communities, citing a power cut that would have grounded his plane.

Days later, Mega Hall was shut down. The reason was not immediately announced, but the timing was impossible to ignore. 

Governor Okpebholo is one of Tinubu's most vocal allies in the South-South known popularly for the statement he made last month. 

He pledged 2.5 million votes to the president ahead of the 2027 elections at a Benin City rally, declaring Edo State "firmly in the grips of the APC."

In his new video, Eedris addressed the fallout directly. "If they close your friend's business because of you, abeg tell me wetin you go do?" he asked. 

He said he approached the governor to intervene, and the hall was eventually reopened. 

As part of the arrangement, the governor asked Eedris to tour ongoing development projects across the state. Eedris said he obliged, and that he will share what he saw with Nigerians soon.

He ended the video pre-empting the backlash. "It is not my fault," he said, acknowledging that some Edo residents already suspect he is being used to promote the governor's image.

Those suspicions are now widespread online. Commentary has been swift and largely unforgiving, with many Nigerians arguing that the episode confirms what critics have long said, that even the most vocal activists have a price. 

Whether Eedris' account shifts that perception, or cements it, may depend on exactly what he shows when he releases that footage.

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