The British High Commissioner to Nigeria Richard Montgomery has said that the letter submitted at 10 Downing Street by Sunday Adeniyi Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, was not endorsed by any UK government agency or Parliament Committee.
Igboho was reported to have submitted a petition to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, to consider the creation of a Yoruba nation.
Olayomi Koiki, the spokesman for Sunday Igboho, made this known in a post on Sunday via his X page.
He stated that Igboho submitted the petition on behalf of the leader of the Yoruba Nation movement, Prof. Adebanji Akintoye
But the British envoy in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs downplayed the significance of the receipt of the letter, saying it was done as mere formality.
The High Commissioner was claimed to have clarified the issue when he was invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said the report in the media was misleading, stressing the UK government typically does not concern itself with petitions concerning the sovereign affairs of another country.
The statement signed by Amb, Eche Abu-Obe, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads:”Following media reports on the petition submitted at 10 Downing Street by Mr. Sunday Adeniyi Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, The British High Commissioner in Abuja was invited to shed light on the issue.
“During the parlay, the High Commissioner noted the concern that the matter had generated, indicating that the press reports were highly misleading.
“Furthermore, the High Commissioner informed he was aware of the letter being delivered but added that it was merely an established practice of allowing the delivery of letters and petitions to No 10. “It was not endorsed by any Agency of the UK government or the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee.
“The High Commissioner noted that the UK government typically does not concern itself with petitions concerning the sovereign affairs of another country.
“He informed that such petitions had been rejected by the UK Parliamentary Petitions Committee and the UK Government in the past.
“In this regard, He agreed to continue liaising with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as needed, while reiterating the importance of the bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
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