The family of African Democratic Congress Lagos governorship aspirant Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has released historical documents and photographs to affirm its ancestry and longstanding ties to Lagos amid ongoing debate over his Yoruba heritage and indigene status.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, the family said the materials were released to counter what it described as deliberate 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 statement read.
“To stop this, we hereby present: The Rhodes-Vivour Family Archives.”The digital collection, hosted on the family’s website, rhodesvivour.com, features historical photographs, manuscripts, official documents and narratives detailing the family’s contributions to commerce, law, public service and the military over generations.
The archives describe the Rhodes-Vivours as a multi-generational Lagos family of Saro descent, a term linked to Africans who returned from Sierra Leone, including formerly enslaved people who were liberated and resettled.
Prominent figures highlighted include William Vivour (1830–1890), described as a leading 19th-century planter and trader who returned from Sierra Leone and became a major landowner in Fernando Po (now Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea), pioneering aspects of the cocoa and palm oil trades.
The collection also features the family’s historic residence on Igbosere Road, Lagos Island, and documents Justice Stephen Bankole Rhodes II (1890–1951), identified as an early indigenous Nigerian jurist.
He was appointed a puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1945 by King George VI, served in the Legislative and Executive Councils, and received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire honour in 1943.
Other records include a photograph of the Class of 1886 featuring G. Vivour and the Second World War service of Sergeant Bankole Vivour in the Royal Air Force’s Pathfinder Squadron.
The release comes amid renewed political discussion about Rhodes-Vivour’s ancestry and cultural identity as he prepares for the 2027 Lagos governorship election.
Questions have partly focused on his limited fluency in Yoruba and an earlier campaign flyer in which he reportedly appeared in Igbo attire and used the name Chinedu.
The family says the historical records establish its roots and continuous presence in Lagos across generations.
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Lol, na Una sabi, you raised your so. To hate yorubas.. let him go rule in South east
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