Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s former governorship candidate in Lagos, has confirmed his intention to contest again in 2027 while defending his decision to join the African Democratic Congress.
Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, September 15, Rhodes-Vivour explained that his move was part of efforts to build a coalition strong enough to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“I would not say I dumped LP because, as you know, the Labour Party is divided into two particular factions. One of such factions is pro-coalition.
“A coalition is a coming together of several political parties, several political thinkers, and the ADC is the party that has been adopted by the coalition.
“So I cannot come on here and say I dumped the Labour Party. No, we are focused on building a robust coalition. And yes, I am a registered member of the ADC,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour formally joined the ADC earlier this month, a decision criticised by the Labour Party as “hasty” and “ill-advised.” He, however, maintained that he informed Peter Obi of his plans before making the switch.
Looking ahead, the opposition figure said his confidence lies in the people.
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“I’ve said this several times, by the grace of God, I intend to run in the next election, 2027. My confidence is in the people. The people have shown their strength in 2023. We’ve stayed on ground. We’ve built networks in communities. We’ve learned from mistakes, and we’re still learning.
“The good thing about coalitions is you’re building your support base, you’re building more contacts and more stakeholders to be able to have a more formidable campaign,” he added.
He noted that the coalition had attracted “formidable” players from the PDP, APC and LP, making the opposition in Lagos more united and better positioned than before.
Rhodes-Vivour also criticised the police for allegedly stopping his coalition’s rally at a paid-for venue while later allowing the APC to use the same space.
“We got the approvals. We got the letter. We made the payment. On Thursday they came and occupied the venue. On Saturday, the police supervised and protected the APC to do a rally at the same place that I paid for.
“The Commissioner of Police needs to explain why that happened. The job of the police is to protect the citizens, not to determine who can do what, when, and how,” he said.
Despite the setback, Rhodes-Vivour stressed that the opposition was determined to organise, mobilise, and deliver a stronger challenge in 2027.