African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, says he has no disagreement with former Anambra State governor Peter Obi despite the political differences between Obi and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Rhodes-Vivour, speaking in an interview with BBC Igbo published on Monday, said his primary political focus remained Lagos State while reaffirming his commitment to the ADC 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.
Rhodes-Vivour noted that his political journey had previously placed him in the same political camp as both Atiku and Obi, pointing out that their political roles had changed across successive election cycles.
He recalled that when he first contested the Senate, Atiku was the presidential candidate while Obi served as his running mate.
“The first time I ran for Senate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was a presidential candidate; His Excellency Peter Obi was his vice president,” he said.
The political alignment later changed, with Atiku and Obi contesting the presidency separately.
Rhodes-Vivour said that under the current arrangement, Atiku remained his presidential candidate and that his responsibility was to support the ADC.
“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 nevertheless urged Nigerians to vote according to their convictions, saying the outcome of elections should reflect the choices of voters.
“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 characterisation, arguing that the state had never been one.
“Lagos has never been a no-man’s land,” he said.
He questioned the basis for the description, particularly given the ownership and sale of land in the state.
“If it’s no-man’s land, who are they buying the land from?” he asked.
Rhodes-Vivour described the expression as offensive, saying it was not merely an issue concerning him personally.
“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.
