Former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has dismissed any possibility of aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s political structure to secure the state’s governorship seat.
Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, Rhodes-Vivour described such an alignment as “a complete waste of time,” insisting that his priority in politics is to improve the lives of Lagos residents and restore the state’s lost glory. He said Lagos would progress better if, in his words, the domination of “agberocracy” — a system of thuggery and intimidation in politics — was removed.
The politician, who has previously contested under KOWA, the PDP, and the LP, confirmed that he has now joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, which he believes is the only viable platform for the opposition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027. Asked if he would run for governor in 2027 on the ADC ticket, he responded, “By God’s grace.”
Rhodes-Vivour disclosed that Peter Obi, the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, was aware of his move to the ADC. He also pointed to the Labour Party’s internal crisis as one of the reasons for his defection.
Commenting on the disruption of an ADC event in Lagos on Saturday, he argued that it was the constitutional right of the group to meet without police approval and alleged that while the ADC was denied the opportunity to hold its programme, the APC was allowed to proceed with its own.
Since 1999, Lagos politics has largely been shaped by Tinubu, who served as governor until 2007 and has influenced the emergence of subsequent governors. He became President in 2023, while the ADC coalition, led by opposition figures including Atiku Abubakar, Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rauf Aregbesola, has vowed to defeat him in the 2027 general elections.
