Yoruba news today spans politics, music and literature. The pan-Yoruba group Afenifere has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, rapper CDQ has credited Dagrin and Olamide for shaping his Yoruba rap journey, and lawyer-poet Bayo Oyagbola has launched his first poetry collection in Lagos. Here is a clear, sourced summary of each story and why it matters to Yoruba readers at home and in the diaspora.
At a Glance
- Politics: Afenifere endorses Tinubu for a second term in 2027 after a caucus meeting in Akure.
- Music: CDQ says Dagrin influenced his Yoruba rap journey and Olamide paved the way for him.
- Books: Bayo Oyagbola launches The Sky’s Forgotten Prayer, his first poetry collection, at the Metropolitan Club in Lagos.
Afenifere Endorses Tinubu for a Second Term in 2027
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office. According to Vanguard and The Guardian Nigeria, the position was taken at a caucus meeting held on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at the Akure residence of the group’s leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti.
In a communiqué signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere said it reviewed the performance of the Tinubu administration and the current political situation before taking its decision. The group said it believes the President is committed to restructuring Nigeria, promoting economic prosperity and inclusivity, deepening democracy and tackling insecurity and criminality. It urged voters to support his re-election bid.
Calls for peaceful elections and stronger security
Beyond the endorsement, Afenifere used the meeting to call for a peaceful campaign season. Vanguard reports that the group urged political actors to promote peace before, during and after the elections, free from violence, thuggery and character assassination. The organisation also voiced concern over reported threats by bandits and terrorists to disrupt the 2027 polls, following revelations attributed to the Department of State Services (DSS), according to Opinion Nigeria. Punch framed the story as both an endorsement and a call for a credible election. We also covered the announcement earlier: 2027: Afenifere Endorses Tinubu, Demands Credible Election.
The meeting also renewed Afenifere’s commitment to promoting the Yoruba language and encouraging its wider use in speech and writing, The Sun reports. It came days after Afenifere’s then Secretary-General, Sola Ebiseni, publicly declared support for Tinubu’s second-term bid and resigned his membership of the Labour Party. Opinion Nigeria lists former Ondo State governor Olusegun Mimiko and former Osun State deputy governor Iyiola Omisore among those present at the Akure meeting.
As with any political endorsement, reactions will differ. Earlier Reuters reporting noted that Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of the fuel subsidy and the liberalisation of the exchange rate, have won praise from ratings agencies and investors, while critics say they have deepened the cost-of-living crisis. Readers who want the full picture should consult the original reports linked above.
CDQ Says Dagrin Influenced His Yoruba Rap Journey and Olamide Paved the Way
Indigenous Nigerian rapper CDQ, whose real name is Sodiq Abubakar Yusuf, has been speaking about the artists who shaped his path. In a report by Modern Ghana, he says Dagrin influenced his Yoruba rap journey and that Olamide paved the way for him.
His tribute is part of a long-running story in Nigerian street-hop. Dagrin, who died in 2010, did not invent Yoruba rap, but he is widely credited with taking it to a new level, most notably with his 2009 hit “Pon Pon Pon”, which mixed Yoruba, English and Pidgin. Olamide has previously said that Dagrin and Lord of Ajasa paved the way for artists like him, as Information Nigeria reported in 2017, and he released “Tribute to Dagrin” in 2011.
CDQ is no stranger to this lineage. According to his published artist biography, he began making music professionally in 2008, first as a backup singer for Dagrin, and later moved from English rap to rapping in Yoruba. He became a household name with the hit “Indomie”, which featured Olamide.
For more on this story, read our earlier coverage: CDQ: Dagrin Inspired My Yorùbá Rap Journey, Olamide Paved the Way and Olamide: Dagrin Influenced Me and Many Other Rappers. For fans of Yoruba music, the message is clear: today’s street-hop stars stand on the shoulders of the voices that came before them.
Bayo Oyagbola Launches The Sky’s Forgotten Prayer in Lagos
Lawyer and poet Bayo Oyagbola has launched his first poetry collection, The Sky’s Forgotten Prayer: Echoes of River, Drum and Heaven, at the Metropolitan Club in Lagos, according to TheCable and The Guardian Nigeria. The book is published by Bookcraft and brings together poems written over several years.
The collection explores memory, mortality, spirituality, Yoruba culture and the human search for meaning. At the launch, Oyagbola joined a fireside chat about his use of both Yoruba and English and the relationship between poetry, music and dance. In remarks reported by Pulse, he described the search for truth and meaning as perhaps the most important part of life.
Family and friends read selections from the book, and the evening closed with Oyagbola reading “Why”, a poem on cosmological relativity that he named as his favourite in the collection. The conversation also touched on “Man’s Sorrow Is Man”, a poem reflecting on humanity’s capacity to become its own greatest threat. Poet and lawyer Tade Ipadeola also spoke, reflecting on Oyagbola as both a lawyer and a poet and highlighting the collection’s engagement with Yoruba and Nigerian cultural heritage.
The book is reported to be available locally and online through several major booksellers, including Rovingheights and Quintessence.
Yoruba News Today: What It All Means
Taken together, these three stories show how Yoruba identity runs through politics, popular music and literature. Afenifere’s endorsement shows where a leading pan-Yoruba organisation stands ahead of 2027, while its renewed push for the Yoruba language links politics to culture. CDQ’s tribute to Dagrin and Olamide shows how Yoruba-language music passes influence from one generation to the next. And Oyagbola’s book adds a reflective literary voice that moves between Yoruba and English.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which group endorsed Tinubu for a second term?
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term after a caucus meeting at the Akure residence of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, on 29 September 2026.
Who does CDQ credit for his Yoruba rap journey?
CDQ says Dagrin influenced his Yoruba rap journey and that Olamide paved the way for him, according to Modern Ghana.
What is Bayo Oyagbola’s new book called?
His first poetry collection is titled The Sky’s Forgotten Prayer: Echoes of River, Drum and Heaven. It is published by Bookcraft and was launched at the Metropolitan Club in Lagos.
Sources and Photo Credits
This digest summarises reports from Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Sun, Opinion Nigeria, Punch, Modern Ghana, TheCable, Pulse and Information Nigeria, linked in the text above. Photos from Unsplash: Namnso Ukpanah (featured image), Jonathan Velasquez, Nnaemeka Ugochukwu and Olga Tutunaru.
