Family defends Rhodes-Vivour’s Yoruba, Lagos heritage with historical documents

FILE: ADC Lagos Governorship Candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

Family defends Rhodes-Vivour’s Yoruba, Lagos heritage with The family of the African Democratic Congress governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has released historical documents and photographs detailing its ancestry and longstanding ties to Lagos amid debate over his Yoruba heritage and indigeneship.

The family said the release of the materials was aimed at countering what it described as attempts to misrepresent its history and pedigree in the state.

“We have observed a deliberate attempt to distract the public with falsehoods against a family whose history and pedigree in Lagos State is so well documented and preserved,” the family said in a Saturday statement posted on X.

The family said it was making the historical records available to provide evidence of its ancestry and contributions to Lagos over several generations.

“To stop this, we hereby present: The Rhodes-Vivour Family Archives,” it added.

The digital collection, hosted on the family’s website, rhodesvivour.com, contains historical photographs, manuscripts, official documents and narratives tracing the family’s involvement in commerce, law, public service and military service.

The archives describe the Rhodes-Vivours as a multi-generational Lagos family of Saro descent, a term associated with Africans who returned from Sierra Leone to parts of West Africa, including formerly enslaved people who were liberated and resettled.

One of the prominent figures featured in the collection is William Vivour (1830–1890), whom the family describes as a leading planter and trader in 19th-century Africa.

According to the archive, Vivour returned from Sierra Leone and established himself in Fernando Po, now Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea, where he became a major landowner and participated in the cocoa and palm oil trades.

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The collection also features photographs and accounts of the family’s historic residence on Igbosere Road, Lagos Island, which it describes as a home associated with generations of family members who contributed to law, culture and public service.

Another prominent figure documented in the archive is Justice Stephen Bankole Rhodes II (1890–1951), whom the family identifies as an early indigenous Nigerian jurist.

The archive states that he was appointed a puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1945 by King George VI. It also records his service in the Legislative Council and Executive Council, as well as his receipt of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire honour in 1943.

The collection further includes a photograph of the Class of 1886, featuring G. Vivour, and records the Second World War service of Sergeant Bankole Vivour in the Royal Air Force’s Pathfinder Squadron.

The release comes amid renewed political debate over Rhodes-Vivour’s ancestry and cultural identity as he pursues his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 Lagos State governorship election.

Questions about his Yoruba identity have partly centred on his inability to speak the language fluently and an earlier campaign flyer in which he reportedly appeared in Igbo attire and used the name Chinedu.

The issues have featured in political exchanges involving the politician and his opponents, with his language ability and cultural identity becoming subjects of public discussion.

However, the family’s archive presents historical records intended to establish its roots and document its presence in Lagos across generations.

The debate over Rhodes-Vivour’s heritage comes as political parties begin preparations for the 2027 governorship election in Lagos State