“Obi Was Aware of My Defection to ADC” — Rhodes-Vivour Replies LP

Former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has dismissed claims that he abandoned Peter Obi, the LP’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, by defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Rhodes-Vivour said Obi was fully aware of his decision and had even sent a representative to witness his formal declaration on Saturday in Alimosho, Lagos.

“Certainly, His Excellency was aware. A representative of his was even at the declaration yesterday. His Excellency and I are communicating. We are aligned. There’s no step that’s being taken that he’s not aware of,” he said.

He stressed that his move was in line with ongoing efforts to build a coalition of opposition parties capable of challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

“We have all agreed that the only way to have a successful election for us in the opposition is through a coalition,” he added.

The clarification followed sharp criticism from LP leadership, which described his defection as hasty and ill-advised. In a statement on Sunday, LP’s interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, said Rhodes-Vivour had “jumped the gun,” arguing that he should have followed Obi’s example of engaging other parties while remaining in LP.

Akeni noted that the party had already reached a consensus that no single opposition party could unseat the APC in 2027 without a united front.

Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election under LP, formally declared for the ADC on Saturday. The event was briefly disrupted by security operatives before being relocated.

His defection comes as the ADC leads a broader coalition of opposition parties, officially formed in July, with the aim of presenting a formidable alternative to the ruling APC in 2027.