Yoruba nation agitator Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has called on President Bola Tinubu to caution Vice President Kashim Shettima over his recent verbal attacks on Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the British Conservative Party.
Shettima reportedly criticized Badenoch for making blunt remarks about corruption in Nigeria and for emphasizing her Yoruba identity while distancing herself from Northern Nigeria.
In a statement personally signed by Igboho and shared with Daily Sun, the activist urged Tinubu to direct Shettima to focus on his vice-presidential responsibilities rather than engaging in unnecessary disputes. Igboho defended Badenoch’s stance, describing her comments on corruption and her Yoruba heritage as truthful and justified.
“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.
Igboho also drew comparisons with the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that criticism of Buhari’s Fulani ethnic group was often met with swift and severe responses. Recalling his own experience, Igboho recounted a 2021 raid on his residence, allegedly ordered by Buhari’s administration, where two people were killed and 13 others arrested due to his activism against herder-related violence.
He lamented the worsening conditions in Nigeria, citing widespread poverty, insecurity, and economic hardship, and criticized the government for failing to address these issues. Instead, Igboho accused Shettima of prioritizing personal conflicts, saying, “When has it become a sin for someone to express their opinion or state the obvious about how corruption has hindered Nigeria’s progress, or to proclaim their true Yoruba identity?”
Igboho concluded by urging Tinubu to call Shettima to order, insisting that the vice president should focus on tackling Nigeria’s pressing challenges rather than engaging in what he termed “needless verbal attacks” on Badenoch.
