The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he has no disagreement with former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, despite the political differences between Obi and his presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
NEWSNGR reports that Rhodes-Vivour stated this in an interview with BBC Igbo, published on Monday, while explaining his political position ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said his primary concern remained Lagos State’s development, while reaffirming his commitment to the ADC and its presidential candidate.
“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 recalled working politically with both Atiku and Obi at different times, noting that their positions had shifted across successive election cycles.
“The first time I ran for Senate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was a presidential candidate; His Excellency Peter Obi was his vice president,” he said.
He added that the two politicians later contested the presidency separately.
“The next election His Excellency Peter Obi was running for president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was running for president, and His Excellency Peter Obi was a presidential candidate,” he said.
The ADC candidate said his current political affiliation meant Atiku was now his presidential candidate and that he would work for the party’s success.
“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 urged Nigerians to vote according to their convictions and ensure their votes are counted.
“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,” Rhodes-Vivour said.
Reacting to the recurring description of Lagos as a “no-man’s land,” Rhodes-Vivour rejected the claim, saying the state had never been one.
“Lagos has never been a no-man’s land,” he stated.
He questioned the basis for the description, especially given the ownership and sale of land in the state.
“You know, every four years you hear these things, you don’t come and hear that one Igbo man called Chukwu said that Lagos is a no-man’s land. These things are not true, because these people that you are talking about, should be there on money that they pay money to,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour asked, “If it’s no-man’s land, who are they buying the land from?”
The governorship candidate said the description was not only inaccurate but also offensive to him and 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.
