The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has expressed confidence that his 2027 governorship campaign will succeed without relying on the political influence of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi or the Obidient movement.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Rhodes-Vivour dismissed concerns that Obi’s exit from the ADC to the newly formed Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) would weaken his chances in the Lagos governorship race.
Responding to a question on how he intends to prosecute his campaign without Obi’s support, the ADC candidate said his focus remains on grassroots mobilisation.
“By doing the work,” he replied.
Rhodes-Vivour explained that his political strength has grown significantly since contesting the 2023 governorship election, noting that years of community engagement have helped establish a stronger political structure across Lagos.
“Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of 2023 is not Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of 2026. We have been doing the work, we have been building structures in communities, we have entrenched ourselves. We are standing for the people,” he said.
He added that his continued involvement with residents affected by demolitions in different parts of the state has further strengthened his relationship with communities and informed his vision for governance.
Addressing speculation about his relationship with Obi, Rhodes-Vivour insisted that there is no disagreement between them, describing their alliance during the 2023 elections as productive.
“We had a fantastic run in 2023. His Excellency Peter Obi, fantastic candidate, there are no issues between us. I just felt that Lagos has a peculiar type of politics that needs a broad-based coalition across generations, across tribes, across people with different experiences and we achieved that,” he stated.
The ADC flagbearer also defended his decision to remain in the party despite recent internal developments, arguing that the coalition formed within the ADC has created a formidable opposition platform in Lagos capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We came into the coalition because we realised that if we have multiple oppositions it will be difficult to take out this present government and we have succeeded beautifully in Lagos State to build something that I am proud of,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 governorship election, Rhodes-Vivour maintained that his confidence is based on sustained political organisation rather than online popularity.
“I am very sure that you will see that we will put out a very good outing in this election and by God’s grace, we will win,” he said.
He also rejected claims that his support base exists mainly on social media, insisting that his political movement has established a strong grassroots presence across communities in Lagos State.
