The reported governorship aspiration of a member of the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) in Oyo State, Beulah Adeoye, is presently going through challenges on social media from many youths within the Southwest due to his selection of partner.
Adeoye, a 43-year-old businessman and politician, is married to an Igbo girl, Ifeoma, and they’re blessed with Anaya and Adella. He’s amongst these believed to be eyeing the seat presently occupied by Governor Seyi Makinde who’s married to a Kalabari girl, Tamunominini.
Whereas he’s but to make an official declaration to contest the Oyo governorship election, his inclination in current instances has been in direction of the route.
One in every of his first posts on X in 2025 learn, “As we navigate our shared imaginative and prescient for Oyo State, I’m not getting into this journey flippantly. Management calls for not solely imaginative and prescient but in addition integrity, competence, and a willingness to interact with the complexities of governance. My dedication is to construct on the progress we’ve made by creating pathways for progress that prioritise excellence, inclusivity, and accountability.”
This publish was met with opposing feedback that disregard any type of qualification he has to manipulate Oyo State. In response to a majority of the feedback, Adeoye is just not certified for having an Igbo spouse.
“Your actions have spoken louder than any phrases ever might. You intentionally sidelined your Yoruba heritage by giving your youngsters solely Igbo names, erasing the Yoruba id in your lineage. Now, you come to ask Yoruba girls for his or her votes so you may carry your Igbo spouse into the federal government home to preside over the very folks whose tradition and id you dismissed,” stated an X consumer, @EsugbayiEleko.
One other X consumer, @funshographix, stated, “You’re a Yoruba man, you married from Igbo ethnicity. In our tradition, the children should bear Yoruba identify, as a substitute, you gave them Igbo identify. The irony is you wish to contest as governor in Oyo State. Why are plenty of Yoruba males so silly?”
@sucreblazing stated, “Sir, you see that First Woman place, by no means once more will it’s occupied by any girl from Igboland.”
@Saintmureign stated, “Beulah! Oyo folks reject you right this moment, we’ll reject you tomorrow and can reject you ceaselessly.”
“Baba Anaya needs to be governor of the mighty Oyo empire. This isn’t fictional Femi Adebayo Seven Doorways film. That is actual life. The navy and political capital of Yoruba folks is just not a spot for Ifeoma-loving males,” stated @yomiable.
Seven Doorways, as cited by Yomiable, is a fictional Nollywood film a couple of Yoruba king who made his Igbo spouse his queen. When the film’s trailer was launched, a lot of these opposing Adeoye right this moment criticised it. They expressed displeasure on the selection of an Igbo girl as queen in Yorubaland, citing it as a setback within the effort to protect Yoruba tradition.
Whereas kicking in opposition to Adeoye ‘s aspiration, they’re additionally opposing the Jagun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Dotun Sanusi, who in October 2024 jettisoned his Oyo governorship ambition. Their criticism is probably not unconnected to the truth that he might someday turn into the Olubadan of Ibadan whereas having an Igbo spouse.
When contacted, Adeoye’s Chief of Workers, Ridwan Fasasi, stated their camp was conscious of the motion, particularly the pushback witnessed throughout a Area chat held by his boss. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that he received’t be capable to make any remark regarding the situation till his principal returns from his journey overseas.
How the motion in opposition to non-Yoruba First Woman began
How did a individuals who voted Governor Makinde and his Kalabari spouse to steer Oyo State immediately develop a disdain for the political aspirations of Yoruba males married to girls of different ethnicities?
This might be attributed to the outburst by Betty Akeredolu, an Igbo girl who’s the quick former First Woman of Ondo State. She turned the primary non-Yoruba First Woman since 1999 attributable to her marriage to ex-governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
Months after her husband’s dying, Betty used a derogatory time period on X to check with Yoruba folks whom she presided over for about six years earlier than her husband died in workplace. She referred to as them Ofemmanu, that means “palm oil soup folks”
In banter with somebody who challenged her on X, she additionally stated, “I dey laf o! Do you worth marriage in your society? Infidelity is your DNA, each women and men. One spouse in the home three or 4 others outdoors breeding. Ask Yoruba males who married Igbo girls, why they selected us. Are you aware your father? Is your mom dwelling together with your father? You bastard!”
Her publish was met with outrage from Yoruba social media customers who had been upset within the payback they bought from somebody who held a extremely revered workplace of their area. Her motion, which she’s but to apologise for, could also be why the political aspirations of Yoruba males married to girls of different ethnicities could also be in jeopardy.
In response to @Luwoleni who tackled Adeoye, “Do you folks learn the room in any respect and research the temper of Yoruba folks in the intervening time? After the nonsense Betty Akeredolu did in Ondo State, this one too needs to carry an Igbo girl as First Woman. Who cursed these Yoruba politicians?”
@Tunbolity stated, “As a lot as I help the Oke Ogun governorship agenda, I don’t see you as the appropriate candidate as a result of it appears your Igbo spouse shall be on the driving seat in Oyo State and Ondo State folks can verify that such will finish in premium tears for the folks.”
Reacting, the Senior Particular Assistant (Leisure and Tourism) to Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, comic Seyi Legislation, who’s married to an Igbo girl, stated he discovered no fault within the motion in opposition to non-Yoruba First Woman.
He shared on X, “I no blame my folks one bit. I’m from Ondo State, and what my folks endured for over six years was horrible.”
In a chat with our correspondent, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos, Ogbonna Solomon, stated Betty’s use of the time period Ofemmanu was to attract folks’s consideration to the issue happening within the Akeredolu household.
“She was not saying it to harm Yoruba folks and their custom. Hausa folks name us Nyamiri; Yoruba folks name us Ajeokutamamumi; Igbo folks name Yoruba folks Ofemmanu and name Calabar folks Nne Nkita as a result of they eat canine. So, her goal was to attract the eye of Yoruba elders to her plight as a result of nobody was intervening,” he stated.
When requested if such derogatory time period ought to be discovered on the lips of somebody who as soon as held a public workplace in Yorubaland, Solomon stated folks ought to contemplate what prompted Betty’s comment.
“No one has thought-about it. They need to ask her what was stated to her that prompted that comment. Ofemmanu is the nickname Igbo gave to Yoruba individuals who additionally name us Ajeokutamamumi,” he stated.
The Jagun Olubadan of Ibadanland was additionally tackled by @Femiwashere who cited a information report concerning the disdain allegedly proven by his Igbo spouse in direction of a conventional present he obtained on his fifty fifth birthday. In response to him, “This one is Betty Promax. She may even wish to turn into Alaafin.”
@MrDhikr stated, “Wallahi, Dotun Sanusi’s spouse is already on the market inflicting a stir, giving folks sliding sort out. What’s much more worrisome is that her weak husband has the potential to turn into Olubadan.”
One other Yoruba man noticed by the motion in opposition to non-Yoruba First Woman is Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu. This was after a gaggle endorsed him to contest the 2027 governorship election in Lagos, a state as soon as ruled by his father whose spouse, the present First Woman of Nigeria, is Itsekiri. Regardless of Seyi not declaring governorship ambition, opposition is already mounting from the motion as a result of his spouse is partly Igbo and of one other nationality.
Reacting, the Ohanaeze chief in Lagos stated, “They need to cease intermarriage first. They need to cease Yoruba and Igbo marriages. Then we’ll know that they wish to finish any relationship they’ve with Igbo folks. They need to additionally look at the First Woman of Nigeria who is just not a Yoruba girl.”
Additionally condemning the motion, the PDP Nationwide Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated such received’t affect the social gathering’s selection of candidates.
He stated, “We comply with our pointers and guidelines with regard to candidates rising. We now have a structure about residents and {qualifications}. Your partner is just not a situation so that you can be a candidate for a celebration. Is it?”
He stated a lot of these in opposition to a non-Yoruba first girl “don’t even vote,” including that “they simply make all of the noise on social media and by tomorrow they’ve forgotten all about it.”
The Nationwide Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, was not accessible for remark as his telephone was switched off.
