Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has cleared the air on his recent political move, insisting that he has not abandoned the Labour Party despite joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking during a live appearance on Monday, Rhodes-Vivour explained that his decision was tied to a broader coalition strategy aimed at mounting a credible challenge against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
According to him, the Labour Party currently operates in factions, and one of the groups is working in support of the coalition. He stressed that the ADC was only adopted as the official platform for that coalition and not a signal of his departure from the Labour Party.
“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 explained.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested against Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2023, said the lessons from that election have strengthened his resolve. He declared that, by the grace of God, he would be on the ballot again in 2027, this time under a broader and more formidable coalition.
“My confidence is in the people. They showed their strength in 2023, and we have remained on the ground since then. We’ve built networks in communities, learned from our mistakes, and continued to grow. The good thing about coalitions is that they expand your base, connect you with more stakeholders, and help you prepare for a stronger campaign,” he noted.
The politician disclosed that members of the coalition are drawn from the Peoples Democratic Party, APC, and Labour Party, making it a more united front with stronger reach ahead of the polls.
He, however, raised concerns about what he described as deliberate attempts by security agencies to frustrate opposition activities. Rhodes-Vivour cited a recent incident in Alimosho where his coalition had secured and paid for a venue to host a reception for himself and former presidential candidate Peter Obi under the ADC, only for security operatives to take over the grounds.
“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.
He alleged that over 80 policemen, alongside other forces and an armoured personnel carrier, were deployed to stop the ADC event, with the Area Commander attributing the move to “orders from above.” Ironically, on the same day, the APC was reportedly allowed to hold a rally at the venue with full police protection.
Despite these challenges, Rhodes-Vivour expressed confidence that the opposition coalition will head into the 2027 elections more structured, organised, and prepared to contest power.
