Femi Kuti
‘You are such liars,’ Femi Kuti denies calling Peter Obi’s supporters ‘zombies’
Afrobeat music’s multi-award winning veteran, Femi Kuti has denied referring to supporters of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 General Elections, Dr Peter Obi, as zonbies.
The now 60 year-old singer who was widely reported to have referred to Obi’s supported as zombies, denied making such statement, as he called those who made the claims as ‘liars.’
Kuti was reported to have called Obi’s supporters ‘zombies’, alleging that the artiste made the statement while performing at the Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, last Thursday.
“You know what obedience means? Stand up, sit down, sit there — zombie. How can you be Obidient in this chaos? I am not Obidient. Tell me, at 60, why am I Obidient? You said I should be Obidient, sit down, be peaceful. Are you all okay in this country?” the reports claimed he said.
However, Femi, the son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and nephew to civil rights activist, Beko Ransome-Kuti, said he never made such claims, as he added that he was quoted out of context.
Reacting via his verified Twitter handle, Friday, Femi Kuti expressed anger over the claims, as he insisted that ‘the country will better for all of us if Peter Obi wins.’
“You are such liars. Of what benefit is it to the people when you take my words out of context like this? I said I’m too angry at my age to be obedient. Expressing I do not like the ‘term’ But if Peter Obi wins and actually changes the country better for all of us,” Femi Kuti said.
A consistent critic of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of President Muhammadu Buhari, who he accused of jailing his father, Fela, the artiste has not publicly endorsed any presidential candidate involved in the 2023 polls.
‘Zombie’ was a hit song released by Fela in the 70s highly critical of the regimental lifestyle of the military.
The song attracted repercussion of the military under the then Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who ordered the invasion and demolition of the old Africa Shrine performance centre of Fela by soldiers, leading to the death of the artistes’ mother, late Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who is also the grandmother of Femi Kuti.
