Former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has clarified that his decision to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was not a betrayal of LP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, but a strategic step made with Obi’s full knowledge.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Rhodes-Vivour explained that Obi was fully carried along in his decision. He stated that a representative of Obi was present during his formal declaration in Alimosho, Lagos, on Saturday.
According to him, “His Excellency was aware. A representative of his was even at the declaration. We are in constant communication, and there’s no step taken without his knowledge. We are all aligned because the only path to a successful election for the opposition is through coalition. No matter where anyone stands now, we all share that agreement and are working towards it.”
His clarification came after the Labour Party criticized his defection, calling it hasty and ill-advised. The Nenadi Usman-led LP leadership argued that Rhodes-Vivour should have followed Obi’s example of collaborating with opposition forces without leaving the party.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election under the LP, said his move to the ADC was part of a broader effort to strengthen opposition alliances ahead of future elections
