Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has expressed his opinions about tribalism and his family’s enemies.
According to Femi Kuti, who was speaking at the 2024 Felaberation Festival in Lagos, some of his family’s biggest adversaries are Yoruba people.
He identified the late business magnate MKO Abiola and former President Olusegun Obasanjo as fierce adversaries of the Kuti family.
Femi Kuti noted, however, that his family does not practise tribalism because they were raised with pan-Africanist ideals in mind.
He emphasised that he was raised by significant individuals who implanted in him a feeling of pan-Africanism, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Kuti went on to say that his family is not tribalistic and that he has both good and terrible friends from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
He emphasised that while acknowledging the existence of ethnic issues is important, it’s equally important to address them with empathy and avoid fostering tribalism.
He said:
“Brothers and sisters, something very important is going on in our lives; ethnic problems. You call it tribalism. Please, do not bring the Anikulapos in your stupidity.
“We grew up with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
“Pan-Africanism was the order of the day. So, I didn’t grow up being sentimental. I saw good people, bad people. I’ve got great European friends, I’ve got terrible European friends. I’ve got great African friends, I’ve got terrible African friends.
“One of our [the Kuti family’s] greatest enemies as you know are Yoruba people; Obasanjo or Abiola. We are not tribalistic in our family.”
