During the 2026 Independence Day event called The Platform, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who is running for governor of Lagos State with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), faced a question about how he would help preserve the Yoruba language and culture. An audience member pointed out that many Yoruba children in Lagos struggle to speak their native language and referenced a recent interview Rhodes-Vivour had on television. When Rhodes-Vivour started to answer the question in English, some audience members became upset and wanted him to respond in Yoruba. The situation became a bit chaotic, but he managed to calm everyone down. He acknowledged that Lagos is part of Yorubaland and emphasized the importance of language in preserving culture. Rhodes-Vivour also criticized the current education system, claiming that students have been punished for speaking Yoruba in schools during the long period of governance by the All Progressives Congress (APC). He suggested that the audience member should also address their concerns to representatives of the current Lagos State Government who were present.
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