My Family’s Greatest Enemies are Yoruba People – Femi Kuti
Grammy-nominated Afrobeat musician, Femi Kuti, made a bold statement during the 2024 Felabration Festival in Lagos, revealing that some of his family’s most significant adversaries come from their own Yoruba ethnic group.
While addressing the audience at the annual event honouring his father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Femi named former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late business tycoon MKO Abiola as prominent figures who have opposed the Kuti family over the years.
Femi emphasized that despite being Yoruba, his family does not subscribe to tribalism, having been raised in a pan-Africanist environment. He referenced the influence of leaders like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, and his grandmother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, in shaping his family’s worldview.
“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,” he urged. He went on to express that his experiences growing up taught him to see people beyond ethnicity, focusing instead on their character, regardless of their cultural or racial background.
Femi’s comments underscored the Kuti family’s rejection of tribalism, highlighting their belief in unity and equality across all ethnic lines.
