In this exclusive interview with LYDIA ENYIDIYA EKE, Bolaji O. Akinyemi, a Nation Builder, and advocate for Responsible Leadership, who spoke on the sidelines of the Service of Songs in honour of the late Nkechinyere Rhodes-Vivour, mother of Labour Party’s 2023 Lagos State governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, reflected on the enduring lessons of her life, the dangers of tribal politics, and why Nigeria must now embark on a Citizenship Revolution anchored on Performance Democracy. Excerpts:
What stood out most for you at the Service of Songs for the late Mrs. Nkechinyere Rhodes-Vivour?
It was far more than a memorial service. It became a national conversation without anyone deliberately planning it. Listening to the tributes, I encountered the story of a woman whose life transcended ethnicity, politics and social boundaries. She remained proudly rooted in her Igbo heritage while being deeply embraced by her Yoruba family and community. Her life demonstrated that Nigeria flourishes whenever we choose citizenship above ethnicity and relationships above prejudice.
The “Yoruba and Igbo beans” story has captured public imagination. Why has it resonated so deeply?
Because it is simple, relatable and profoundly symbolic. A Yoruba wife learnt how her Igbo husband preferred beans, while an Igbo wife later learnt how her Yoruba husband preferred the same meal. Neither insisted that one culture was superior. They simply learnt from each other.
