I’ll quit politics than align with Tinubu – Rhodes-Vivour

Former Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 elections in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he will rather quit politics than align with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos politics.

Rhodes-Vivour, who dumped the LP and formally joined the African Democratic Congress on Saturday, said his politics was ideologically different from that of Tinubu, adding that it would be a waste of time for him to align with the ruling party in Lagos.

He said this while featuring on Sunday evening on  Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today.

Asked if it would not be more realistic for him to align with Tinubu to realise his governorship ambition, Rhodes-Vivour said, “No. I’ll rather go and focus on my business, work and my family; that would be a complete waste of time.”

Former Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 elections in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said he will rather quit politics than align with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos politics.

Rhodes-Vivour, who dumped the LP and formally joined the African Democratic Congress on Saturday, said his politics was ideologically different from that of Tinubu, adding that it would be a waste of time for him to align with the ruling party in Lagos.

He said this while featuring on Sunday evening on  Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today.

Asked if it would not be more realistic for him to align with Tinubu to realise his governorship ambition, Rhodes-Vivour said, “No. I’ll rather go and focus on my business, work and my family; that would be a complete waste of time.”

Further dismissing the possibility of aligning with  “Tinubu politics” in Lagos, the politician said, “The reason why we’re in politics is to make the lives of Lagosians better, to restore Lagos to its old glory. Any party or any platform that does not allow me to maximise the common wealth of Lagos for the benefit of the people is a complete waste of time.”

President Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, is the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and is considered to have a strong influence on Lagos politics, being his base.

The APC is also the ruling party in Lagos. However, Tinubu lost Lagos during the 2023 presidential election to the then presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi.

Speaking further on his defection to the ADC, Rhodes-Vivour said he got the approval of Obi before making his move.

“Certainly, a representative of his (Obi) was at the declaration yesterday (Saturday). His Excellency and I are communicating, we are aligned, and there is no step that is being taken that he’s not aware of. We have all agreed that the only way to have a successful election, for us in the opposition, is a coalition, regardless of where anybody is at this point. We have all come to that agreement, and we are all working towards that aim,” he said when asked if Obi was aware of his defection.

On whether his followers would not be disillusioned over his change of political platform, Rhodes-Vivour said, “We don’t have time, we need a party that is going to be ready to do the work, which is building a robust structure all the way down to the ward level with stability and a platform that can allow this work to be done without any distraction. So that is a very practical reason why we joined the ADC.”

Meanwhile, Rhodes-Vivour called out the police in Lagos, whom he accused of supervising an attack on him and his supporters during his programme in the Alimosho area on Saturday.

 However, the police have denied the claim.

Narrating the incident, he said, “We had booked a field, called the Lion Field in Alimosho, we notified the police, we were not to get the police permission to gather, that’s our constitutional right. We notified them that we are going to do something here, we notified them, and they accepted. We got a verbal confirmation. On Thursday, we got another verbal communication that the CP said we could not have our event there. That same Thursday night, we have videos, the local government chairman, in the company of 60 to 80 armed men, went to the field with a black Maria and Hilux buses to occupy that field. I was there on Friday, spoke with the police commander who was there, and I assessed the situation.

“The commander told me that the CP said I should come and see him immediately. I left directly for GRA. I called and texted him, but he did not respond. I waited for two hours and left.”

He said on the main day, “The police came there. Thugs came in, and the police were behind them; a lot of damage was done. My blood sister had to go to the hospital to get stitched up. My aide was hit, and people who were supposed to benefit from the health outreach were hurt and intimidated.”

On why he made no report, he said, “Am I going to go and report to the police? The CP was there at Lion Field, and the DCP was in front of the gate at Lion Field. They came and supervised the destruction of over 70 buses. The police were supposed to protect lives and property; they were there when all of these things happened. Is it them I’m going to go and report to?”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has denied the claims made by Rhodes-Vivour on the said attacks.

The police, in a statement issued by the Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Babaseyi Oluseyi, on Sunday night, titled “RE: ‘The Nigerian Police in Collaboration with APC Thugs Working Towards Creating a One-Party State – Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour,’ said they were not aware of any report of the attack.

“It is pertinent to once again set the record straight and inform members of the public that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, directed the deployment of joint police teams consisting of conventional police personnel, Tactical Squads, and the Police Mobile Force to patrol the entire area of Alimosho LGA and other parts of Lagos State. This was solely to ensure law and order, protect citizens, and guarantee public safety, and not for any political interest or in collaboration with APC thugs, as wickedly alleged by Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour,” the police said.

The police said the APC in Alimosho Federal Constituency duly informed the command of its programme, “which was peacefully held on Saturday.”

“The Lagos State Police Command wishes to categorically state that the Command was not informed of any other political rally or gathering by Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour in any part of Alimosho on the same date. It is equally factual to state that no letter of notification or request for police protection was received from him regarding any political rally.

However, at about 12:30 pm on Saturday, distress calls were received from members of the public reporting pandemonium and disorder inside the Christ Gospel Mission International Campground, causing worshippers attending a special Holy Prayer programme to run helter-skelter for safety. On arrival, it was discovered, based on accounts from worshippers, that a political rally was being forcefully held inside the religious premises without the approval or authorisation of the church.”

Babaseyi also said there were no coaster buses observed damaged within the church premises or along the road leading to the campground throughout the period the Commissioner of Police was present.

“It is also important to state that for more than 30 hours, going into two days after the purported incident, no complaint or formal report of the allegations made by Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has been lodged at any police station in Alimosho or any other formation throughout Lagos State. Claims of damage to coaster buses and injuries to supporters were only heard from him during the interview and have not been brought to the attention of the police in the state,” he added.