A question-and-answer session at the 2026 Independence Day edition of The Platform in Lagos generated a lively reaction after African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour initially responded in English to a question about preserving Yoruba language and culture.
During the session, an attendee asked Rhodes-Vivour what he would do to protect Yoruba culture, traditions and language if elected governor of Lagos. The questioner referenced the candidate’s recent interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels Television and expressed concern that many children in Lagos were increasingly unable to speak Yoruba.
The attendee also cited countries such as China and India, where indigenous languages remain widely spoken, as examples while questioning how Yoruba could be better preserved in Lagos.
However, when Rhodes-Vivour began answering in English, some members of the audience interrupted and demanded that he respond in Yoruba. The exchange briefly caused a stir before the candidate calmed the audience and continued his response, including speaking in Yoruba.
Rhodes-Vivour acknowledged the importance of the issue, stating that Lagos is Yorubaland and that language plays an important role in carrying a people's culture and heritage. He has also previously said that he learned Yoruba with the help of a teacher and could campaign in the language.
Turning to education, Rhodes-Vivour alleged that pupils in some Lagos schools are still punished for speaking Yoruba, which he said is sometimes treated as “vernacular.” He linked the situation to the more than two decades of APC administration in the state. These were his allegations, rather than independently established facts in the reports reviewed.
He subsequently suggested that some questions concerning the preservation of Yoruba in schools should also be directed to representatives of the Lagos State Government who were present at the event.
The incident has since generated discussion online, particularly over the role of indigenous language in Lagos politics, education and cultural preservation.
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