The Federal Government has clarified that the petition submitted by Yoruba nation agitator Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, also known as “Sunday Igboho,” to the United Kingdom was not endorsed by the UK government. In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, described media reports surrounding the petition as “highly misleading.”

He explained, “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.”

The High Commissioner further stated that while he was aware of the letter being delivered, it was merely a standard procedure for allowing letters and petitions to be submitted to No. 10. He emphasized, “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.”

He also noted that similar petitions have been rejected by the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee and the UK government in the past. The High Commissioner agreed to maintain communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as necessary, highlighting the importance of bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

It is worth noting that Igboho, according to his spokesman Olayomi Koiki, submitted a petition to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging consideration for the creation of a Yoruba nation. 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.”