The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said his 2027 governorship ambition will not depend on the political influence of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi or the Obidient movement, insisting that years of grassroots mobilisation have prepared him for the race.
Rhodes-Vivour made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief while responding to questions about his campaign strategy following Obi’s exit from the ADC for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) amid the party’s internal legal disputes.
Asked how he intended to prosecute his campaign without Obi and the Obidient movement, Rhodes-Vivour replied: “By doing the work.”
He said his political profile and grassroots structures had grown significantly since the 2023 governorship election.
“Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of 2023 is not Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of 2026. We have been doing the work, building structures in communities and entrenching ourselves. We are standing for the people,” he said.
The ADC candidate added that his engagement with residents affected by demolitions across Lagos had strengthened his connection with local communities and reinforced his vision for the state.
“We had a fantastic run in 2023. His Excellency Peter Obi was a fantastic candidate. There are no issues between us. I just felt that Lagos has a peculiar type of politics that requires a broad-based coalition across generations, tribes and people with different experiences, and we achieved that,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour explained that he chose to remain in the ADC because he believes the party has succeeded in building a formidable opposition coalition in Lagos capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We came into the coalition because we realised that if the opposition remains divided, it will be difficult to unseat the present government. We have succeeded beautifully in Lagos State in building something that I am proud of,” he said.
Expressing confidence ahead of the 2027 governorship election, Rhodes-Vivour said his campaign would be driven by strategic planning rather than sentiment.
“I am very sure that you will see that we will put up a very strong outing in this election and, by God’s grace, we will win,” he said.
He also dismissed claims that his popularity exists only on social media, insisting that he has built a strong grassroots presence across communities in Lagos State.
