The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he has no personal disagreement with former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, despite political differences between Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Rhodes-Vivour made the clarification in an interview with BBC Igbo, while reaffirming his support for Atiku, the ADC’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former Labour Party governorship candidate said his primary political interest remained Lagos State and that his decisions would be guided by what he believes is best for the state.
“I have no issues whatsoever with His Excellency Peter Obi, regardless of what happens at the top level.”
Rhodes-Vivour noted that his political journey had previously brought him into the same political camp with both Atiku and Obi, whose political alignments have changed across successive election cycles.
He said his current membership of the ADC means Atiku is his presidential candidate and that he would work towards the success of the party in the 2027 election.
“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.
Despite his support for Atiku, Rhodes-Vivour urged Nigerians to vote according to their convictions and called for an electoral process in which citizens’ votes would be respected.
“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.
His comments come against the backdrop of continuing realignment among opposition political figures ahead of the 2027 elections. Obi and Atiku had previously been associated with an ADC-led opposition coalition, but Obi later moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), according to Reuters.
Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election alongside Obi under the Labour Party, had also said in a September interview that he maintained a cordial relationship with Obi and continued to identify with the values associated with the Obidient movement.
