Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Labour Party’s 2023 Lagos governorship candidate, has firmly dismissed any prospect of aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s political structure as part of his plan to contest the 2027 governorship election. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he described such alignment as “a complete waste of time.”
When asked whether he might adopt Tinubu’s style of politics in Lagos, Rhodes-Vivour replied: “No, I will rather go and focus on my business, my work, and my family. That [aligning with Tinubu] will be a complete waste of time.” He emphasized that his political engagement is driven by a desire “to make the lives of Lagosians better; it is to restore Lagos to its old glory — glory that a lot of people might not really be familiar with… and the greatness that Lagos once was.”
He further asserted: “Any party that will not allow me to maximise the commonwealth of Lagos for the benefit of its people is a complete waste of time.”
Rhodes-Vivour also criticized what he referred to as “agberocracry”—a term he used to describe a style of politics dominated by intimidation and where politicians serve themselves rather than the people. He said Lagos would thrive once this was “expunged from the neck of Lagos State,” explaining that such “thuggery” has no place in his vision of governance.
Having shifted from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rhodes-Vivour declared that his involvement in the ADC coalition is strategic: “By God’s grace,” he said, he would contest the Lagos governorship in 2027 under its banner. He revealed that Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, is aware of his decision to move to the ADC — a move he described as essential for opposition unity. “The coalition was the only way for the opposition to win in the 2027 general elections,” Rhodes-Vivour added.
Observing internal turmoil within the Labour Party, he noted that disruptions have made it difficult for the party to focus on essential activities. Referring to a recent ADC event in Lagos that was disrupted, Rhodes-Vivour defended the gathering as a constitutional right and criticized the authorities for permitting a ruling APC event while denying the ADC the right to assemble.
