The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he does not need to be fluent in Yoruba to preserve and protect the indigenous culture of Lagos State if elected governor.

Rhodes-Vivour stated this in a video shared on Monday, days after his response to a question on Yoruba culture and language at the Independence Day edition of The Platform generated reactions.

At the October 1 event, an attendee had asked the candidate what he would do to preserve Yoruba culture, tradition and language in Lagos, with some members of the audience demanding that he respond in Yoruba when he began speaking in English.

Addressing the controversy, Rhodes-Vivour said he had never denied the Yoruba identity of Lagos and maintained that indigenous groups, including the Aworis and Eguns, contributed to the development of the city.

“I have consistently said the opposite. Lagos is Yoruba land with indigenous people like the Aworis and the Eguns contributing to creating the welcoming cosmopolitan Lagos that we know and love.”

He explained that his difficulty with Yoruba was one of fluency, noting that he often processes his thoughts in English before translating them into other languages.

“I said this as it relates to fluency. A lot of us process our thoughts in English. I do. I think in English and then I translate to other languages. As you can see from what happened at the platform, my Yoruba set has a way to go and we are making efforts.”

The ADC candidate said his focus as a governorship candidate was on governance, arguing that cultural preservation could be pursued through government policies without requiring him to speak perfect Yoruba.

“My business is governance. I don’t have to speak perfect Yoruba to preserve and protect the indigenous culture of Lagos.”

He described his vision as one where Lagos’ heritage would be preserved while residents from different backgrounds could coexist and contribute to the development of the state.

“A city where heritage is remembered, culture is respected, and people from different backgrounds build one future together,” he said.

Rhodes-Vivour also used the video to respond to criticism of his viral “Afonja” meme which features President Bola Tinubu, saying the expression was directed at what he described as the President’s silence over killings of Yoruba people and his alleged prioritisation of political alliances.

He said his reference to Afonja was not intended as an insult to the Yoruba race or to suggest that Tinubu represented the entire ethnic group.

“It’s not an insult or a slur on the entire Yoruba race. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not the avatar for the entire Yoruba race,” he said.

The ADC candidate then shifted attention to what he described as the problems facing Lagos, criticising the state government over housing, traffic, flooding, waste management, roads and alleged corruption.

“Unfortunately, their candidate is responsible for the stench of Lagos, the lack of affordable housing, traffic, the dirty streets, badly constructed roads, poor state of our hostels and schools, and the massive corruption that has become endemic in the management of Lagos state finances.”

He also criticised what he described as the government’s response to issues including traffic and housing, arguing that residents should not be expected to accept poor living conditions as normal.

“Their solution is that traffic is a lifestyle. We do not know how much waste is being produced. Stay in your parent’s house if you cannot afford rent,” he quoted Hamzat’s controversial interviews.

Rhodes-Vivour said his proposed administration would focus on housing, transportation, flooding and waste management if elected.

“Our Lagos is a Lagos that will work for you. We’ll focus on delivering affordable housing to 100,000 units. We’ll build out the rail system in two years,” GRV said.

He also promised to tackle flooding and reform waste management through greater involvement of local governments.

“We’ll tackle the incessant flooding in Lagos. We’ll build out the waste-to-wealth and waste-energy value chain by decentralizing the waste management system and empowering local governments to actively participate in keeping Lagos clean,” the ADC gubernatorial candidate said.

He added that his administration would target alleged racketeering in waste management while creating alternative opportunities for young people involved in street activities.

“We’ll get rid of the racketeering and corruption that is endemic in the waste management system, and lastly, we’ll create a new pathway to a productive life for the many young men that currently intimidate and harass productive members of our society,” Rhodes-Vivour concluded by restating his vision for the state. (The Nation)