The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he has learned Yoruba and can now campaign in the language as he seeks to govern Lagos State.

Rhodes-Vivour made the statement during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, explaining that he had engaged a Yoruba teacher to improve his proficiency in the language.

“Culture and language is very, very important, and I’ve gotten a Yoruba teacher, and I’ve learned Yoruba and I can campaign in Yoruba and that is wonderful,” he said.

During the interview, Rhodes-Vivour also responded in Yoruba after a presenter greeted him in the language. He replied, “Mo kí gbogbo yín,” meaning “I greet all of you.”

The ADC governorship hopeful, however, said his primary focus remained addressing the challenges affecting Lagos residents, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.

He identified flooding, the housing crisis and traffic congestion among the major problems confronting residents.

“My passionate interest is to ensure that we have a Lagos that no longer stinks,” he said.

Rhodes-Vivour added that the effects of these challenges were experienced by Lagosians across ethnic and social backgrounds.

“All of us are going to, when you translate it, all of us are going to hear the smell, right? Everybody is going to experience the failure, is experiencing the failure of our flooding, of our housing crisis, of the traffic, of the loss of dignity of Lagosians. And that connects all of us,” he said.

His latest comments come amid renewed attention to his Yoruba proficiency, which became a subject of political debate during the 2023 Lagos governorship election.

During the 2023 campaign, Rhodes-Vivour acknowledged in a Channels Television interview that although he understood and could speak Yoruba, he was not fluent. He attributed this to his upbringing and education, including periods spent outside Nigeria.

His statement that he did not “think in Yoruba” subsequently attracted criticism during the campaign. He later disclosed that he had hired a Yoruba teacher and was learning the language, saying improved fluency would help him connect with the people.

Rhodes-Vivour, whose father is Yoruba and mother is Igbo, also received support from groups including Afenifere and Eko Forum, which defended his Lagos heritage amid questions about his ancestry and language proficiency.

He contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party, finishing behind the All Progressives Congress candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor.

Rhodes-Vivour is now seeking the ADC governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 Lagos State election.