Igboho Defends Tinubu, Criticizes Buhari’s Legacy Amidst Yoruba Nation Advocacy

Activist for the Yoruba nation, Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Igboho, has contested the claim by some individuals that President Bola Tinubu is the source of Nigeria’s current problems.

Tinubu, inaugurated on May 29, 2023, declared the end of fuel subsidies in his initial speech, leading to a surge in petrol prices and heightened inflation.

This move comes after the previous administration under President Buhari did not allocate funds for fuel subsidies in the 2023 fiscal plan.

During a visit to the traditional ruler’s residence in Igboho town, Oyo State, on Friday, Adeyemo expressed, “Some folks argue that Tinubu is the one ruining the nation; that’s not the case. During Buhari’s tenure, I advocated for Yoruba unity and our liberation from oppression, highlighting that Buhari had nothing beneficial for us.

“We should assert our independence and advocate for Nigeria’s division. There were those who accused me of pursuing my own interests. Buhari passed on a deteriorating Nigeria to Tinubu. Six months into Tinubu’s term, people are blaming him. What has he really done?”

On July 1, 2021, Igboho narrowly avoided a lethal attack on his residence in Ibadan by the Department of State Service agents.

Following this, he and his wife, Ropo, were apprehended in Benin Republic while en route to Germany on July 19, leading to his release in October 2023.

Approximately 30 months after leaving Nigeria, Igboho returned for his mother’s funeral, who passed away on July 22, 2023.

A video that quickly spread across social media shows Igboho being greeted by a large crowd in Oyo State, seated atop a car.

In a speech to his followers at the royal palace, he criticized Buhari for deploying security forces to target him for advocating Yoruba rights.

He stated, “Buhari deployed his military and DSS to capture me at my home because I declared that Yorubas are not subservient to the Fulani. The Fulani cannot dominate us on our ancestral land.

“The Fulani cannot prevent our elders from accessing their farmlands. They wouldn’t dare. But I have returned, empowered by divine, not human, authority. I wield the power God used to forge the universe.”