Yeni Kuti to Wizkid: This Feud Stains Nigeria, Not Fela’s Legacy

Yeni Kuti to Wizkid: This Feud Stains Nigeria, Not Fela’s Legacy

Yeni Kuti, daughter of the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has called for restraint and reconciliation amid the ongoing controversy involving singer Wizkid and the Kuti family, warning that the dispute does more damage to Nigeria’s image than to her father’s legacy.

Speaking during an interview on TVC’s The View, Yeni said she was saddened by how the situation escalated, especially given her long-standing relationship with Wizkid, whom she described with affection and respect.

“I love Wizkid a lot. He’s my padi, my small friend. We’ve come a long way together,” she said, recalling how the singer once performed as a backup act at the Afrika Shrine during Felabration in his early career.

She explained that she deliberately avoided responding to insults or engaging in the public back-and-forth, stressing that such conflicts often hurt innocent people rather than the individuals directly involved.

“When two giants fight, it’s the grass that suffers,” she said.
Yeni appealed for peace, urging all parties to resolve their differences quietly, particularly at a time when Nigeria is preparing to celebrate Fela’s legacy on the global stage.

“We are one people. We’re about to celebrate our icon internationally, and you’re all doing this. You’re not dirtying Fela or his family; you’re dirtying Nigeria,” she warned.

She also noted that the continued attacks on Fela decades after his death only highlight his lasting impact and relevance.
“Fela has been dead for 27 years, and people are still talking about him. That alone answers how great he was,” she said.

Concluding her remarks, Yeni urged critics to focus on their personal disputes and leave the late musician’s legacy untouched.

“Fight yourselves, you that are alive, and leave the man who has done his own and gone,” she said.