Rhodes-Vivour learns Yoruba language ahead of 2027 Lagos governorship race
The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he has learnt Yoruba and can now campaign in the language ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Rhodes-Vivour disclosed this during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, saying he engaged a Yoruba teacher to improve his ability to speak the language.
He described language and culture as important to connecting with the people, while stressing that his major concern remained addressing challenges affecting 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 responded in Yoruba after a presenter greeted him in the language, saying, “Mo ki gbogbo yin,” meaning “I greet all of you”.
He identified flooding, the housing crisis and traffic congestion as major challenges affecting Lagos residents, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, saying his focus was to ensure the state addresses issues affecting the quality of life of its residents.
His comments came against the backdrop of controversy over his Yoruba fluency during the 2023 governorship election. Rhodes-Vivour, whose father is Yoruba and mother is Igbo, said in a March 2023 Channels Television interview that he understood and could speak Yoruba but was not fluent, attributing this to his upbringing and education, including periods spent outside Nigeria.
Rhodes-Vivour contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the Labour Party platform and finished third behind incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor. He is now seeking the Lagos governorship ticket of the ADC ahead of the 2027 election.
