Rhodes-Vivour, however, urged Nigerians to vote according to their convictions, calling on INEC to ensure citizens’ votes count.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Lagos State African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has clarified that he is backing his party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and not the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, during the 2027 general elections.
He made the clarification recently during a candid interview he granted to BBC Igbo, which was uploaded on Monday.
According to Rhodes-Vivour, he has no issue with Obi, despite their political differences and his decision to part ways with his former political ally.
The governorship hopeful, however, stressed that his primary political interest remained Lagos State, whilst reaffirming his commitment to the ADC and its presidential candidate.
Speaking during the chat, Rhodes-Vivour said: “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.”
Recalling his political journey, the ADC chieftain acknowledged that he had previously been in the same political camp with both the former Vice President and the former Anambra State governor, noting that the two politicians had 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 vice president,” he added.
Rhodes-Vivour noted that the political configuration changed in the following election, when both Atiku and Obi contested the presidency separately.
He went on to affirm that his current political reality and affiliation mean that Atiku is his presidential candidate, and he would work to advance the interests of the ADC.
“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.
ALSO READ: Stop obsessing over Obi, face Anambra’s problems — Obi’s camp tells Soludo
He further urged Nigerians to vote according to their convictions and called on the electoral umpire to conduct an election in which citizens’ votes would count.
“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,” he said.
Addressing the description of Lagos as a “no-man’s land”, the ADC candidate rejected the notion, saying the state had never been one.
“Lagos has never been a no-man’s land,” Rhodes-Vivour argued.
He also questioned the rationale for the assumption, 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 asked.
He described the claim as offensive, saying it went beyond him personally.
“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.
