The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, says he has learnt Yoruba and will campaign in the language ahead of the 2027 election.
Rhodes-Vivour said he engaged a Yoruba teacher and has improved his ability to speak the language, stressing that culture and language are important.
“It is harder for female artistes to ‘blow.’ Female artistes aren’t measured by talent but by what they wear. If your tummy isn’t flat, people sexualise you,” he said.
Correction: the quote above belongs to the earlier Fave story and should not be included in this report.
Rhodes-Vivour said, “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 also responded in Yoruba during the interview after being greeted in the language, saying, “Mo ki gbogbo yin,” meaning “I greet all of you.”
The ADC candidate said, however, that his focus would extend beyond language and ethnicity to issues affecting Lagos residents, including flooding, housing and traffic.
“My passionate interest is to ensure that we have a Lagos that no longer stinks,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour added that these challenges affect Lagos residents regardless of their ethnic or linguistic backgrounds.
His latest comments come amid renewed attention to the issue of his Yoruba fluency, which featured prominently during the 2023 Lagos governorship campaign. He had acknowledged at the time that he could speak and understand Yoruba but was not fluent.
Rhodes-Vivour contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the Labour Party platform and is now seeking to govern the state under the ADC in 2027.
