FG clarifies that UK did not support Sunday Igboho’s petition for Yoruba nation
The Federal Government has clarified that the petition submitted by Yoruba nation activist Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, asking the United Kingdom to consider the Yoruba nation was not endorsed by the UK government.
In a statement made on Tuesday in Abuja, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described media reports surrounding the petition as “highly misleading.”
He explained, “Following media reports on the petition submitted at No. 10 Downing Street by Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, the British High Commissioner in Abuja was invited to provide clarification. The High Commissioner expressed concern that the issue had been exaggerated and that the media coverage was misleading.”
The High Commissioner confirmed that while he was aware of the delivery of the letter, it was part of a routine practice allowing the submission of letters and petitions to No. 10. He emphasized that it had not been endorsed by any UK government agency or the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee.
“The UK government typically does not involve itself in petitions regarding the internal affairs of another country,” the spokesperson quoted the High Commissioner as saying. He added that similar petitions had been rejected by the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee and the UK Government in the past.
The High Commissioner also expressed a willingness to continue communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reiterated the importance of the relationship between the UK and Nigeria.
For context, Sunday Igboho’s spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, had announced on Sunday that Igboho submitted a petition to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, advocating for the creation of a Yoruba nation on behalf of Prof. Adebanji Akintoye, the leader of the Yoruba Nation movement. Koiki stated, “At exactly 14:00 hrs, Dr. Chief Sunday Igboho delivered a petition to the UK Prime Minister on behalf of Prof. Adebanji Akintoye at 10 Downing Street.”
