Family defends Rhodes-Vivour’s Yoruba, Lagos heritage with historical documents

The family of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress governorship aspirant in Lagos State, has released historical documents and photographs to defend his Yoruba heritage and longstanding connections to the region amid controversy. The release of materials, which the family claims will counter false narratives, includes photographs, manuscripts, official documents and narratives highlighting their involvement in commerce, law, public service and military service.

The archive, hosted on rhodesvivour.com, traces the family's Saro ancestry, a term referring to Africans who returned from Sierra Leone to West Africa, including formerly enslaved individuals. Prominent figures documented in the collection include William Vivour, a noted planter and trader in 19th-century Africa who established himself in Fernando Po, and Justice Stephen Bankole Rhodes II, identified as an early indigenous Nigerian jurist who served in the Supreme Court of Nigeria and received an honor in 1943.

The archive asserts that the Rhodes-Vivours have a multi-generational presence in Lagos, with a historic residence on Igbosere Road associated with generations of family members who made significant contributions to law, culture and public service. The family's efforts to establish its history come as political debates over Rhodes-Vivour's identity and heritage intensify ahead of the 2027 Lagos State governorship election.