A young Nigerian woman has taken to social media to share a story about how she was disqualified from an event simply because she wasn’t considered ‘fully Yoruba.’
Sharing in multiple tweets on X (Twitter), she disclosed that her school selected her to represent Oyo State by delivering a speech at the at the Lekan Salami Stadium in 2017.
According to her, she was in SS1 when this happened, and it was a huge moment for her, and both she and her family were excited.
Her father, proud and supportive, immediately bought everything she needed, from new socks and sandals to a fresh haircut, but things quickly took a turn.
After submitting her details, including her full name, and her mother’s maiden name organizers rejected her just three days to the event because she wasn’t ‘fully Yoruba’.
Although, her principal tried to push back but the organizers stood their ground later shifting the excuse to say they wanted someone from Oyo State.
However, on the day of the event, which she attended with a teacher and her principal, another girl from Ekiti State was chosen to give the speech, and parts of the speech she had written were used.
That moment marked a turning point in her life, knowing that she will never be regarded as fully Yoruba.
She dropped her third name, ‘Toyin and chose ‘Ihuoma,’ referring to herself as Half cabbage, half mango.
See tweets below,
