Yoruba Nation activist Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has publicly called on President Bola Tinubu to address what he describes as "unwarranted verbal attacks" by Vice President Kashim Shettima against Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Conservative Party.
The controversy erupted following Shettima's criticism of Badenoch, who had made remarks about corruption in Nigeria while affirming her Yoruba heritage and distancing herself from Northern Nigeria.
In a statement released on Sunday, Igboho urged Shettima to focus on pressing national issues rather than engaging in disputes. "It is incumbent on President Bola Tinubu, who is also from the Yoruba ethnic nationality and lineage, to direct Shettima to face his duties as vice president rather than dissipate energy or engage in verbal war against Badenoch, who merely expressed her candid but true opinion on the pervasive corruption in Nigeria’s system," Igboho stated.
Drawing parallels with the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Igboho highlighted the repercussions faced by critics of the Fulani ethnic group during Buhari’s tenure. "When the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari was in power, nobody dared launch offensive or verbal attacks against his Fulani ethnic nationality without being dealt with or muzzled through the instrumentality of the state or paying the supreme price," he noted.
Igboho also recounted the July 1, 2021 raid on his residence by security agents, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals and the arrest of 13 others. He attributed the raid to his agitation against the actions of Fulani herders during Buhari’s administration.
Criticizing the Federal Government’s inability to address critical issues like poverty, insecurity, and economic hardship, Igboho lamented, "Majority of Nigerians are currently being subjected to a harrowing experience, excruciating poverty due to harsh economic policies, and are bogged down by kidnapping and other forms of insecurity, but the Federal Government is still groping in the dark, finding solutions."
He further questioned the backlash against Badenoch’s comments, defending her right to express her views. "When has it become a sin for someone to express his or her opinion or say the obvious about how corruption has retarded the growth of Nigeria as a nation or proclaiming her true identity as a member of the Yoruba ethnic group?" Igboho asked.
Igboho urged President Tinubu to redirect Shettima’s focus, stating, "It is high time President Bola Tinubu called Shettima to order now to desist from needless verbal attacks and face his duties as the vice president of the country."
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