Dear Friend
FUND RAISING FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW OF THE 1888 BRITAIN-YORUBALAND TREATY
I write to make this personal appeal to you for donation to fund a claim filed by the Yoruba party in the UK (YPUK) in August 2025 in the Administrative Court in London, for judicial review of the 1888 Britain-Yorubaland Treaty.
The facts are that on 23 May 1888, Britain formally requested in writing for a treaty with Yorubaland; the treaty was most important to British traders. On 23 July 1888, Queen Victoria, Head of Great Britain, concluded the non-cession treaty of friendship and preferential trade with Alaafin Adeyemi, Head of Yorubaland. On 16 June 1890, after two years of contemplation, Queen Victoria ratified the treaty. By ratifying the treaty, Britain for ever accepted all obligations imposed in the 1888 treaty, and Britain created legitimate expectations for the Yoruba people, firstly, that Yorubaland, like Britain itself, was an independent sovereign state under international law, and secondly, that Britain would never appropriate one yard of Yoruba territory. Britain committed itself to eternal obligations from which it could never lawfully resile as a unilateral act. Britain however has disregarded its commitments and done acts to frustrate the treaty, including the assassination of the Alaafin in 1895 and amalgamation of Yorubaland into Nigeria in 1914. YPUK in this judicial review claim has asked the court to compel Britain to act in accordance with the terms of the 1888 Britain-Yorubaland treaty. This claim is solely about accountability.
The 1888 Britain-Yorubaland Treaty, which hitherto had been in a state of neglect, stands out as arguably the most consequential pre-colonial treaty that Britain concluded in West Africa, and thus worthy of this court action. To properly prosecute this claim, YPUK requires the services of a specialist lawyer for which a figure of £50,000 has been quoted. YPUK, which was registered with the Electoral Commission only 18 months ago, relies entirely on voluntary subscriptions, grants and donations.
Please give what you can; UK Lloyds Bank Account No. 32655960, Sort code 30-54-66. Visit our website: www.yorubapartyuk.org
Thank you.
Baasegun (Dr) Olusola On