Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has called on President Bola Tinubu to caution Vice President Kashim Shettima against further verbal attacks on Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Conservative Party.
Igboho’s statement, obtained in Osogbo on Sunday, came in response to Shettima’s remarks about Badenoch, who had earlier made critical comments on corruption in Nigeria.
Badenoch, who identifies as Yoruba, had also distanced herself from being grouped with Northern Nigeria.
In a personally signed press release, Igboho urged Tinubu to intervene, noting that Badenoch had done no wrong in expressing her views on corruption, a persistent obstacle to Nigeria’s development.
“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. She merely expressed her candid and truthful opinion on the pervasive corruption in Nigeria’s system,” Igboho said.
Drawing comparisons to the previous administration, he added, “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 plaguing Nigerians, including economic hardship, poverty, kidnapping, and insecurity. Instead of focusing on these pressing issues, he said, Shettima had chosen to target Badenoch.
“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 stated.
Igboho further 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.”
He implored Tinubu to intervene and ensure Shettima refrained from unnecessary verbal assaults on Badenoch, urging him to prioritise the duties of his office.
