Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the 2023 Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, has declared support for an emerging opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. Speaking during an interview on Lunchtime Politics on Channels Television, Rhodes-Vivour revealed that talks are ongoing between key political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, to form a united political front.
According to him, one of the major lessons from the 2023 elections is that a divided opposition cannot win. He argued that if Atiku’s and Obi’s votes had been combined in the last election, the opposition would have defeated Tinubu. “We cannot afford to divide our votes again. Add Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s votes to His Excellency Peter Obi’s votes, they’ll completely take out the current sitting president,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour stated that coalition talks are already at an advanced stage, and that a formal announcement is expected within days. He added that discussions are ongoing about the political platform that will serve as the vehicle for this alliance. “We are going to hear announcements by tomorrow or next tomorrow, and everybody is coming together,” he said. “That’s our main focus. At that point, we can then authoritatively say this is the party that we are going to run on.”
He also used the interview to launch a strong critique of President Tinubu’s administration, calling it a “failure,” particularly in the areas of economic policy and security. “This government ultimately has been a failure,” he said. “When you talk about the quality of life, the cost of living, this is the highest cost-of-living crisis that Nigeria has faced in the last 40 years.”
Highlighting the growing insecurity across the country, Rhodes-Vivour cited alarming death tolls, saying, “You look at security: over 10,000 people have died in the North, and about 7,000 people have died in the South.” He also criticized government spending priorities, pointing to the renovation of the vice president’s residence amid widespread economic hardship. “You can talk of policies all you want, but if people are experiencing hardship, simultaneously, you are renovating the vice president’s residence,” he said.
In addition to federal criticism, he accused the Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of putting political interests above public service. According to Rhodes-Vivour, governance in the state has been focused more on consolidating political power than addressing the needs of the people.
His comments reflect a growing push within the opposition to build a single, united front that could pose a serious challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general election. As Nigerians continue to grapple with economic challenges and security issues, the success of such a coalition could reshape the country’s political landscape ahead of 2027.
