LAGOS: Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, has said he remains committed to the values associated with the Obidient movement despite former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s move to another political platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election under the Labour Party, said his relationship with Obi remains cordial but noted that he has developed greater political experience and capacity since their joint campaign in 2023.
The ADC candidate made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday while discussing his 2027 governorship campaign and Obi’s decision to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Rhodes-Vivour spoke positively about his relationship with Obi, describing the former Anambra State governor as a politician he respects.
It is very important that I say this, His Excellency Peter Obi is a fantastic politician, I have a fantastic relationship with him. I do not have anything against him,” he said.
According to Rhodes-Vivour, the Obidient movement was built around values including empathy, competence and a vision for a better Nigeria and Lagos.
He said those values remain part of his political identity.
The Obidient movement was a movement that embraced people that had empathy, capacity, intelligence, and spoke a vision for a better Nigeria and a better Lagos. I still embody all these values and the values have not changed. In fact, I have built more capacity as a politician,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
He also expressed confidence that supporters who identify with those values could still consider his candidacy in the 2027 Lagos governorship election.
I still feel that the movement will see me as the candidate they can trust. I will push for a Lagos-first agenda, beyond party lines. I have built from the goodwill Lagosians and Nigerians showed me,” he said.
The ADC candidate acknowledged that he would have preferred a broader opposition arrangement ahead of the 2027 election.
“Ideally, I would have loved a coalition,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
His comments come amid ongoing realignments among opposition politicians and parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, Rhodes-Vivour said his campaign would focus primarily on issues affecting Lagos residents rather than what he described as distractions from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Rhodes-Vivour identified housing and accommodation as major issues he intends to highlight during the campaign.
He argued that the cost and availability of accommodation affect residents across different income groups.
“Our rent situation and accommodation issues are really bad. These are the real issues Lagosians are extremely dealing with. We need to address the issues affecting both the rich and poor in Lagos,” he said.
The ADC candidate said his campaign would seek to bring discussions back to issues directly affecting residents.
Rhodes-Vivour also defended his choice of Gbadamosi as his running mate, describing him as capable of contributing to the campaign’s objectives.
He is brilliant, I really admire him, he is consistent and he will bring the impact I believe will change Lagos. He has fantastic experience running an estate,” he said.
The ADC candidate also compared his public-service experience with that of some of his political opponents, including Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.
Rhodes-Vivour questioned whether political experience had necessarily translated into solutions to some of the problems confronting Lagos residents.
The person who has experience said traffic is a lifestyle,” he said.
On questions about his ability to campaign in Yoruba, Rhodes-Vivour argued that understanding the problems facing residents should be more important than the language used to communicate his message.
“What is most important is the understanding of the issues. What matters is addressing the issues people are facing,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the Labour Party platform, while Peter Obi was the party’s presidential candidate.
Four years later, the two politicians are preparing for the 2027 elections from different political platforms, with Rhodes-Vivour seeking the Lagos governorship ticket under the ADC and Obi pursuing his own political path under the NDC.
The development adds another dimension to the evolving political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
