A new political song released on Thursday by popular Hausa singer Dauda Kahutu, better known as Rarara, has triggered severe backlash over its lyrics. The track targets former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, and accuses him of drug use while praising Gombe State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Jamilu Gwamna. Mr Pantami is the governorship candidate of the Wike-backed People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The song has drawn widespread criticism across social media, with many commentators arguing that the singer misfired. Rather than damaging Mr Pantami’s reputation to benefit the APC candidate as intended, critics say the song has instead generated public sympathy for the former minister.
Dalung decries declining political discourse
Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, expressed worry over the declining standard of political discourse in northern Nigeria, sharply criticising the use of crude personal attacks in the song. He lamented that political music, once a tool for education, inspiration, and civic mobilisation in the North, has degenerated into character assassination and public ridicule.
“There was a time when political songs in the North inspired, educated, and mobilised,” Mr Dalung said. “Even the harshest praise singers understood there were lines that decent people simply did not cross. Today, it seems those lines have disappeared.”
Mr Dalung noted that while political criticism is a crucial aspect of public accountability, public figures should be held to account based on facts rather than personal attacks. He expressed concern that traditional northern Nigerian virtues are being eroded in the pursuit of political point-scoring.
“The North prides itself on adabi (good manners), kunya (modesty), and respect for human dignity,” the former minister stated. “Those values should not evaporate because someone has taken a political position we disagree with. If Sheikh Pantami is wrong, challenge him with facts. If his politics are inconsistent, expose the inconsistencies. If his public statements deserve scrutiny, scrutinise them.”
Critics accuse Rarara of character assassination
Commentators also accused Rarara of weaponising his platform. Abdulaziz Jauro, from Adamawa State, posted on Facebook that using veiled metaphors to disguise character assassination does not make it art. Rather than demonstrating creative skill, the piece is presented as a malicious, hollow attack designed purely to ruin a reputation under the guise of symbolism.
“Rarara’s latest composition aimed at Professor Pantami exemplifies a troubling descent into artistic insolvency and ethical dereliction. Cloaking insinuations in flimsy allegorical devices does not elevate defamatory rhetoric into sophisticated expression; it merely obscures intellectual vacuity beneath a veneer of performative symbolism,” Mr Jauro said.
“What masquerades as creativity is, in reality, a calculated exercise in reputational vandalism. It is profoundly disconcerting that an individual with considerable public reach has chosen to commodify invective, transforming his platform into an instrument of calculated calumny rather than cultural enrichment. Such rhetorical nihilism contributes nothing to public enlightenment; instead, it normalises the corrosion of civic discourse and rewards sensationalism over substance.”
He added: “This is not artistic courage. It is an exhibition of moral bankruptcy, discursive delinquency and an astonishing abdication of the ethical obligations that accompany influence. When talent is subordinated to character assassination, the result is neither music nor commentary; it is simply the degradation of both art and public conversation.”
APC supporter warns about political cost
A lawyer and rights activist, Nuhu Dantani, cautioned Gombe APC governorship candidate, Mr Gwamna, over what he described as the erosion of support for APC candidates following the release of the controversial new song. Mr Dantani, who described himself as a supporter of Dr Gwamna, said the track might have inadvertently boosted Pantami’s profile ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.
“I am a supporter of Dr Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, and I believe he is a good man. However, if he fails in the 2027 Gombe governorship contest, Rarara should be held accountable,” Mr Dantani said.
He further warned: “In his song, he only succeeded in raising Prof Pantami’s popularity and enhancing his dignity and respect. On election day, the impact of this mistake will become clear.”
Warning against normalising indecency
Mr Dalung also condemned the normalisation of unverified allegations and insult-driven rhetoric on public platforms, warning that double standards threaten the moral fabric of northern political culture. He said the most troubling aspect of the song is the applause it has received from partisans who would ordinarily condemn similar attacks if directed at leaders they support.
“Principles are only meaningful when they apply equally to friends and opponents,” he cautioned. “We cannot claim to be defending Northern values while celebrating conduct that erodes the very values our elders taught us.”
Warning of long-term consequences on northern politics, Mr Dalung urged political actors and commentators to elevate the quality of public discourse. “Politics will come and go. Governments will rise and fall,” he noted. “But once we normalise indecency as a campaign strategy, rebuilding a culture of respectful disagreement becomes far more difficult. Our disagreements should sharpen our intellect, not coarse our character. The North deserves a higher standard of politics than this.”
