In August 2021, Olufemi Adegoke, the late father of Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK Conservative Party, described Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho as a brave man while acknowledging his right to demand Yoruba secession.
During an interview with BBC Yoruba, Adegoke—then president of the Voice of Reason (VOR), a coalition of Yoruba professionals advocating for good governance—praised Igboho’s courage but criticized his perceived reliance on violence.
Adegoke said:
“It is true that Sunday Igboho is a brave man. He has the right to highlight injustice and let the youths know that if we secede, it might benefit us. But this is not the way to fight for secession— it should be by wisdom, not by cutlasses and sticks.”
While supporting restructuring Nigeria over outright secession, Adegoke emphasized the need for a new constitution promoting regional governance.
“We are not talking about secession but self-governance. Regions should be allowed to manage their resources and protect themselves.”
Olufemi Adegoke passed away in January 2022.
Sunday Igboho rose to prominence for demanding the expulsion of herdsmen from the south-west and advocating Yoruba self-determination. Following a DSS raid on his residence in July 2021 over allegations of stockpiling weapons, Igboho fled Nigeria, was arrested in Benin Republic, and detained until late 2023 before returning home in February 2024.
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has sparked debates regarding her identity and ties to Nigeria. In a recent interview with The Spectator, she asserted:
“I identify less with Nigeria and more with my specific ethnicity—Yoruba. I have nothing in common with the north, the Boko Haram elements, or the Islamists. Those were our ethnic enemies.”
Badenoch’s comments and her depiction of Nigeria as a “socialist nation plagued by corruption and insecurity” drew criticism, including a response from Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who suggested she consider changing her first name if she no longer wishes to associate with Nigeria.
