Lagos2027: Rhodes-Vivour says he still identifies with Obidient values
The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he still identifies with the values associated with the Obidient movement ahead of the 2027 election.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the platform of the Labour Party, spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday while discussing his 2027 ambition and Peter Obi’s move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
He said he maintained a cordial relationship with Obi despite their different political paths ahead of the next election.
“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,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
He said the movement that supported him and Obi during the 2023 election was based on values including empathy, competence and a desire for better governance.
“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,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour added, “I still embody all these values and the values have not changed. In fact, I have built more capacity as a politician.”
The ADC candidate said he believed supporters of the movement could still identify with his candidacy in the 2027 Lagos governorship election, irrespective of Obi’s current political affiliation.
He said his campaign would focus on issues affecting residents, including housing and accommodation.
“Ideally, I would have loved a coalition,” Rhodes-Vivour said, referring to the possibility of a broader opposition arrangement ahead of the election.
He also questioned how political experience had translated into solutions to some of Lagos’ challenges, including traffic.
On concerns about his ability to campaign in Yoruba, Rhodes-Vivour said the substance of his message was more important than the language used to communicate it.
He also defended his choice of Gbadamosi as his running mate, describing him as experienced and capable of contributing to the campaign.
Rhodes-Vivour contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the Labour Party platform before joining the ADC ahead of the 2027 election.
