Sunday Adeyemo, the Yoruba nation activist popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has advised Vice-President Kashim Shettima to stop the verbal war against Kemi Badenoch, leader of UK’s Conservative Party.
Badenoch has drawn the ire of Nigerians — including a rebuke from Shettima — for “constantly denigrating” her homeland.
Born in 1980 to Yoruba parents in the UK, she spent her early years in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16.
Before her election as leader of the Tories, Badenoch described Nigeria as a socialist nation brimming with thieving politicians and insecurity.
In a recent interview, Badenoch said she identifies more with the Yoruba ethnic group than the Nigerian entity.
In a statement on Sunday, Igboho said Badenoch merely expressed her candid and truthful opinion on the pervasive corruption in Nigeria’s system.
“It is incumbent on President Bola Tinubu, who is also of Yoruba lineage, to direct Shettima to focus on his duties as vice president rather than engage in a verbal war against Badenoch,” the statement reads.
“When Muhammadu Buhari was in power, nobody dared launch offensive or verbal attacks against his Fulani ethnic group without facing consequences.
“Because of my agitation against the destruction of farmlands, killings, and sexual violence by Fulani herders during Buhari’s tenure, security agents, on his orders, stormed my residence on July 1, 2021, killing two people and arresting 13 others.”
Igboho criticised the federal government for its failure to address the challenges facing Nigerians, including economic hardship, poverty, kidnapping, and insecurity.
He said instead of focusing on these pressing issues, Shettima has chosen to target Badenoch for expressing her opinion on the country’s situation.
“Majority of Nigerians are experiencing harrowing poverty and insecurity, yet the Federal Government remains lost in finding solutions. Rather than deploying measures to alleviate the suffering of the masses, the Vice President is busy directing his energy toward Badenoch,” he said.
“When has it become a sin for someone to express their opinion or state the obvious about how corruption has stunted Nigeria’s growth?
“Badenoch, proclaiming her true identity as Yoruba, has committed no offence. The Vice President should concentrate on his responsibilities instead of chasing shadows.”
