Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has justified his decision to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting it is part of a wider coalition effort to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Rhodes-Vivour formally registered with the ADC in early September 2025, a development widely seen as a step toward building an opposition alliance that includes elements of the Labour Party, PDP, and disenchanted APC members.
The Labour Party criticised his defection as “hasty” and “ill-advised,” arguing that it came at a time when the party was consolidating its structures. Responding, Rhodes-Vivour maintained that he had informed Peter Obi of his decision before aligning with ADC.
Appearing on Arise Television on Monday, he rejected suggestions that he abandoned the Labour Party, explaining instead that the ADC had been chosen as the coalition’s political platform.
“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.
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The former candidate, who lost to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2023, confirmed his intention to contest again in 2027. He said the coalition had strengthened his confidence in mounting a formidable campaign.
“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 said.
He further revealed that the coalition had drawn “formidable” members from the PDP, APC, and Labour Party, stressing that the opposition in Lagos was now more united ahead of the polls.
Rhodes-Vivour also criticised the police for allegedly obstructing his coalition’s planned rally at a venue they had paid for, only to allow the APC to use the same location days later.
He said, “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.”
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The planned event, which was meant to welcome Rhodes-Vivour and Peter Obi into the ADC fold in Alimosho, was disrupted despite prior notifications to the police.
He alleged that security forces, including more than 80 policemen and an armoured carrier, sealed off the venue under “orders from above.”
Despite the setback, Rhodes-Vivour stressed that the opposition is better prepared and more organised to present a stronger challenge to the APC in 2027.
