Lagos ADC Candidate Rhodes-Vivour Backs Atiku, Insists No Rift with Obi

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate for Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has declared his support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his preferred presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections, while stressing that he maintains a cordial relationship with former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Speaking in a recent interview with the BBC, Rhodes-Vivour, popularly known as GRV, made clear that his primary focus remains the governance of Lagos State. He said he has no personal disagreement with Obi, irrespective of developments at the national level of opposition politics.

“I have no issue with Mr Peter Obi, regardless of what happened at the top level. My first priority is Lagos State. Atiku is my presidential candidate; that’s where I am. Nigerians should vote for whoever they believe will work and move the country forward,” he stated.

The remarks come against the backdrop of significant realignments within Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 polls. Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the Labour Party platform and finished second with 312,329 votes behind incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, later joined the ADC. He emerged as the party’s official candidate for the 2027 contest after winning its primary earlier this year.

Obi, who had been associated with the ADC-aligned opposition efforts, later moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Rhodes-Vivour has repeatedly emphasised that his decision to remain in the ADC was deliberate and that his political growth since 2023 has been rooted in sustained grassroots engagement across Lagos communities.

In previous interviews, including appearances on Channels Television, Rhodes-Vivour has described Obi as “a fantastic politician” and “a fantastic candidate,” insisting there is no rift between them. He has noted that their 2023 collaboration succeeded because it built a broad-based coalition across ethnic, generational and experiential lines suited to Lagos’s unique political dynamics.

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Atiku Abubakar is the presidential candidate of the ADC for 2027, with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate. Rhodes-Vivour’s endorsement of Atiku aligns with his continued membership of the party. He has previously called for greater unity among opposition forces, describing President Bola Tinubu as a formidable adversary while arguing that the ruling All Progressives Congress has become increasingly out of touch with the realities facing ordinary Lagosians.

Rhodes-Vivour has framed his 2027 campaign around a “Lagos-first” agenda focused on practical issues such as affordable housing, improved transportation, waste management, flooding and the overall quality of life of residents. He has pledged, among other things, to deliver 100,000 housing units in four years and to prioritise integrity in governance, rejecting what he describes as budget padding and opaque practices.

Political observers note that Rhodes-Vivour’s position reflects the complex dynamics of opposition politics in Nigeria, where state-level priorities often intersect with national alliances. By affirming loyalty to his party’s presidential candidate while publicly maintaining goodwill toward Obi, the architect-turned-politician is seeking to navigate both local and national expectations as campaign activities intensify.
Nigerians, he concluded, should ultimately base their choices on which candidates they believe possess the capacity and commitment to advance the country’s progress.