UK Rejected Endorsement of Yoruba Nation Petition- FG

The Federal Government has refuted claims suggesting that the United Kingdom supported a petition presented by Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho.

The petition, which urged the UK government to contemplate the establishment of a Yoruba nation, was submitted at 10 Downing Street, London, last week.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Amb Eche Abu-Obe, labelled the media reports about the petition as “highly misleading.”

Abu-Obe clarified that the UK neither participated in nor endorsed the document officially.

He explained that “Following media reports on the petition submitted at No. 10, Downing Street by Mr Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho, the British High Commissioner in Abuja was invited to shed light on the issue.

“During the meeting, the High Commissioner noted with concern that the matter was overblown, indicating that the media reports were highly misleading.”

He mentioned that the High Commissioner affirmed that submitting the petition was a customary procedure for accepting letters and petitions at 10 Downing Street.

He stressed that the petition was not supported by any UK government authority or the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee.

“Furthermore, the High Commissioner informed that he was aware of the letter being delivered but added that it was merely an established practice of allowing the delivery of letters and petitions to No. 10.

“It was not endorsed by any agency of the UK government nor the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee.

“The UK government typically does not concern itself with petitions concerning the sovereign affairs of another country,” Abu-Obe added, quoting the High Commissioner.

The diplomat also mentioned that the UK government had previously dismissed similar petitions.

The British High Commissioner emphasized the significance of the robust bilateral ties between the UK and Nigeria, assuring the Nigerian government of continued collaboration on issues of shared concern.

Sunday Igboho, through a post from his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, verified that the petition had been presented to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The petition was submitted by Igboho representing Prof. Adebanji Akintoye, who is the head of the Yoruba Nation movement.

Koiki wrote: “At exactly 14:00 hrs Dr Chief Sunday Igboho delivered a petition to the UK Prime Minister on behalf of Prof Adebanji Akintoye, leader of the YORUBA NATION movement, and Olayomi Koiki, his spokesman @10DowningStreet.”