The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he has no personal disagreement with former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, despite the political differences between Obi and the ADC’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Rhodes-Vivour stated this in an interview with BBC Igbo published on Monday, stressing that his primary political focus remained Lagos State and that he was committed to the ADC and its presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I have no issues whatsoever with His Excellency Peter Obi, regardless of what happens at the top level. My first priority and my first love is Lagos State, and I must always make decisions based on Lagos first,” he said.
The ADC candidate recalled that his political journey had previously placed him in the same political camp as both Atiku and Obi, noting that the political relationship between the two leaders had evolved across different election cycles.
“The first time I ran for Senate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was a presidential candidate; His Excellency Peter Obi was his vice president,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
He noted that the political configuration changed in the subsequent election cycle, when Atiku and Obi contested the presidency separately.
Rhodes-Vivour said his current political affiliation with the ADC made Atiku his presidential candidate, adding that he would work to advance the interests of the party.
“I’m in the ADC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is my presidential candidate, that’s where I am, so we are going to do everything we can for our party as the ADC,” he said.
He, however, urged Nigerians to vote for candidates based on their convictions and called for an electoral process in which citizens’ choices would be respected.
“Nigerians should vote for who they believe is going to take them forward, and let’s ensure as a people that our voices are heard, and our votes count,” he said.
On the description of Lagos as a “no-man’s land,” Rhodes-Vivour rejected the characterization, insisting that the state had never been a no-man’s land.
“Lagos has never been a no-man’s land,” he said.
He questioned the basis for describing Lagos in such terms, particularly in view of land ownership and transactions in the state.
“If it’s no-man’s land, who are they buying the land from?” he asked.
Rhodes-Vivour described the characterization as offensive, saying it was not only an affront to him but also to his ancestry.
“But for anybody to say Lagos is a no-man’s land, that’s a very big insult. It’s an insult not just to me, it’s an insult to my ancestors,” he said.
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