Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has voiced support for a political coalition aimed at ending the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at both state and federal levels.
However, he firmly ruled out any form of alliance with the APC itself, citing the party’s style of governance as the cause of persistent challenges in Lagos.
In an interview on News Central on Monday, Rhodes-Vivour described the APC’s long-standing control of Lagos State as detrimental to the well-being of its residents.
He said: “I’m all in favor of a coalition. But that coalition cannot be with the APC. I’ve been consistent in this stance because I believe that everything wrong with Lagos today—the suffering of many Lagosians can be traced to the APC’s approach to governance. It’s not something I can align myself with.”
Rhodes-Vivour, who ran for governor in the 2023 elections under the Labour Party, emphasized that any effective coalition must be focused on dismantling structures of political godfatherism, which he said continue to hinder progress in the state.
He added: “The goal is to build a coalition that truly liberates Lagosians.
“One where governance is not manipulated by unseen hands demanding a cut of the state’s resources, but instead ensures that the wealth of Lagos actually works for its people.”
Responding to the popular notion that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC are indistinguishable, he argued otherwise, at least within the Lagos context.
“I don’t agree that PDP and APC are the same in Lagos. The PDP has never had the chance to govern this state. The closest they got was with Funso Williams and we all know what happened to him,” Rhodes-Vivour stated, alluding to the tragic assassination of the former PDP gubernatorial candidate in 2006.
He noted that his own decision to engage with the PDP in earlier years was driven by a desire to break the APC’s grip on power and offer Lagosians an alternative.
Rhodes-Vivour also made it clear that his political ambition is rooted in the pursuit of genuine change, not compromise. “If any coalition requires concessions that limit the possibility of real reform, then it’s not worth my time.”
© Ripples Nigeria