Former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking a significant shift in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Rhodes-Vivour announced his defection during a declaration event held in Lagos on Saturday. His move comes amid efforts by opposition parties under the ADC banner to form a strong coalition capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election cycle.
Speaking at the event, Rhodes-Vivour emphasized that his decision was driven by the need for a united opposition and a shared vision to rebuild Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Rhodes-Vivour also stressed the importance of unity among opposition forces ahead of 2027:
“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.”
The former LP candidate revealed that attempts were made to frustrate the event, alleging that the Nigeria Police initially barred access to the original venue in Alimosho, Lagos.
In a statement issued by his aide, Olalekan Anjolaiya, organisers claimed they had properly informed the police about the event.
Despite this, security operatives reportedly prevented entry on Saturday morning, forcing the relocation of the event to another venue within the same local government area.
“I’m going to address the press later on the events that happened today and those that happened since yesterday,” Rhodes-Vivour stated.
“But with this speech, I just want to confirm that I am joining the ADC coalition.”
ADC Lagos State Chairman, George Ashiru, described Rhodes-Vivour’s entry as a major boost for the opposition coalition, calling it a historic moment in the party’s journey.
“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,” Ashiru said.
“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.”
Ashiru noted that the coalition was born out of sustained communication that began during the 2023 elections and has since evolved into a shared platform for political change.
Also present at the event was Professor Ola Olateju, representing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He urged party members to believe in their collective ability to drive national transformation.
“We should not look at ourselves as if we are not able or not competent to rescue Nigeria. Anybody here could become anything,” Olateju said.
“ADC is not just a political party; it’s a movement, a movement of the people. It is an exodus. We are moving in order to rescue Nigeria.”
