The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Lagos governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes‑Vivour, said he has no issue with former Anambra State governor Peter Obi despite the political differences between Obi and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Rhodes‑Vivour made the remarks in an interview with BBC Igbo uploaded on Monday. He said his primary political interest remains Lagos State and reaffirmed his commitment to the ADC and its presidential candidate 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.
The ADC candidate recalled that his political journey had previously brought him into the same camp as both Atiku and Obi, noting that the two politicians occupied different positions in successive election cycles.
“The first time I ran for Senate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was a presidential candidate; His Excellency Peter Obi was his running mate,” Rhodes‑Vivour said. He added that the political configuration changed in the following election, when both Atiku and Obi contested the presidency separately.
“ 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.
Rhodes‑Vivour urged Nigerians to vote according to their convictions and called for an electoral process in which citizens’ votes are respected.
“Nigerians should vote for who they believe is going to take them forward. 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,” the ADC candidate rejected the claim, saying the state had never been one.
“Lagos has never been a no‑man’s land,” he said, questioning the basis for the description, particularly in relation to land ownership and transactions in the state. “If it’s no‑man’s land, who are they buying the land from?”
He described the claim as offensive and broader than a personal slight.
“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,” Rhodes‑Vivour said.
