I’ve learnt Yoruba and can campaign in it, Rhodes-Vivour

The Lagos State governorship candidate for the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he has learnt Yoruba. He can now campaign in the language as he aims to lead the state.

Rhodes-Vivour shared this during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday. He mentioned that he hired a Yoruba teacher and has improved his ability to speak the language.

He emphasized that culture and language matter. But he also said his main focus is tackling the issues facing Lagos residents.
“Culture and language is very, very important, and I’ve gotten a Yoruba teacher, and I’ve learned Yoruba, and I can campaign in Yoruba, and that is wonderful,” he said.

During the interview, Rhodes-Vivour answered in Yoruba after one of the presenters greeted him in the language. After a presenter said he would greet the candidate in Yoruba and then translate it, Rhodes-Vivour laughed and replied, “Mo ki gbogbo yin,” which means “I greet all of you.”

Rhodes-Vivour pointed out that the problems facing Lagos, such as flooding, the housing crisis, and traffic jams, affect everyone regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.
“My passionate interest is to ensure that we have a Lagos that no longer stinks.

“All of us are going to, when you translate it, all of us are going to hear the smell, right? Everybody is going to experience the failure, is experiencing the failure of our flooding, of our housing crisis, of the traffic, of the loss of dignity of Lagosians. And that connects all of us,” he said.

His recent comments come amid discussions about his Yoruba fluency during the 2023 Lagos governorship election. During that campaign, his mixed Yoruba and Igbo background and his ability to speak Yoruba stirred political conversations.

Rhodes-Vivour, whose father is Yoruba and mother is Igbo, had admitted in a Channels Television interview in March 2023 that he understood and could speak Yoruba but was not fluent. He explained that his limited fluency was due to his upbringing and education, which included time spent outside Nigeria.

His comment, especially his remark that he did not “think in Yoruba,” faced criticism during the campaign. Rhodes-Vivour later mentioned that he employed a Yoruba teacher and was learning the language. He believed being more fluent would help him connect better with the people.

His supporters, including Afenifere and Eko Forum, defended his Lagos roots during the debate. They rejected attempts to question his ties to the state based on his mother's background and his language skills.

Rhodes-Vivour ran for the 2023 Lagos governorship election with the Labour Party, finishing third. He was behind the incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu from the All Progressives Congress, and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, known as Jandor.

Now, he is vying for the Lagos governorship ticket of the ADC as he prepares for the 2027 election.