Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 Lagos State election, has officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), declaring his membership at an event in Lagos on Saturday.
The move follows the recent formation of a coalition of opposition parties under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is working to challenge the dominance of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections.
The coalition, officially launched in July, has been courting key political figures and groups as part of efforts to establish a strong third force capable of mounting a serious contest in the upcoming polls.
Speaking during the declaration, Rhodes-Vivour described the move as part of a broader coalition.
He said, “I am happy to become part of this family. I’m looking forward to the union and governance that this party will bring to Nigerians. My prayer is that God will grant our leaders and the party’s structure the wisdom to come together and define a new path for our beloved country.”
The politician also called for unity among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“This is a coalition that is meant to rescue Nigeria. I have said since after the 2023 elections that we cannot afford to divide the opposition going into the next election. We must come together, united through a robust coalition that will stand a chance in 2027 to deliver this country,” he added.
Rhodes-Vivour had accused the police on Friday of attempting to frustrate the event, which was scheduled to take place in the Alimosho area of the state.
In a statement issued by his aide, Olalekan Anjolaiya, the organisers were said to have duly notified the police about the event.
According to The Punch, “security operatives barred Rhodes-Vivour and his supporters from gaining access to the venue on Saturday morning, before it was later moved to another location within the local government area.”
Reacting to the incident, he said, “I’m going to address the press later on the events that happened today and those that happened since yesterday. But with this speech, I just want to confirm that I am joining the ADC coalition.”
The Chairman of the ADC in the state, George Ashiru, said the move signalled the strengthening of an opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He also described Rhodes-Vivour’s defection as a historic affirmation of a coalition that had been in the works since the last election.
He said, “Today we are having one of the most important affirmation programmes where our coalition partners from one of the key blocs in the Labour Party are joining this wonderful family of Nigerians, the African Democratic Congress.
“We are not affirming one man, we are affirming a movement, but every movement has a leader, and what brother Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour represents is the leadership of a movement that shook Lagos in the last election.”
According to him, the coalition was built on a foundation of communication that began during the 2023 polls and had now matured into a common platform to challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Speaking at the event on behalf of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Professor Ola Olateju encouraged ADC members to have confidence in their ability to present Nigerians with a credible alternative. He stressed that party members should see themselves as capable and competent to take on the task of rescuing the country.
Olateju described the ADC as more than just a political party, portraying it as a people-driven movement that offers equal opportunities to all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, class, or background. He likened it to an exodus, a collective march aimed at delivering Nigeria from its current challenges.
