Breaking News How Peter Obi’s Victory Positioned Rhodes-Vivour Over Jandor In Battle Against Sanwo-Olu

Nothing underscores the dynamics of politics better than the meteoric rise of the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, in the race for…

Nothing underscores the dynamics of politics better than the meteoric rise of the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, in the race for the soul of Lagos State, the Centre of Excellence and the city of aquatic splendor.

Lagos is now the cynosure of all eyes as the country gears up for the next set of elections to choose governors in 28 states and members of the House of Assembly in the 36 states of the federation.

The outcome of the February 25 Presidential election where the Labour Party defeated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state suddenly changed the permutation and the Obidient Movement incredibly catapulted the LP Governorship candidate into prominence and altered the permutations of the election.

The defeat of APC in the homestead of the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was one of the upsets and shockers of the February 25 President and National Assembly elections which has triggered apprehension and fear in the minds of the APC supporters

Suddenly, Rhodes-Vivour who was regarded as a little fry compared to Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) became the number one threat to APC’s retention of power in the state.

Many APC diehard supporters, chieftains and admirers of Tinubu cannot imagine losing the state after fulfilling the ‘life-long ambition’ of their principal for the presidency. This is why there is uneasy calm in the camp. There is fear. There is anxiety and the centre can no longer hold. The governor and all members of the party have upped their game, intensified the campaigns, and ramped up consultations to avoid a repeat of the February 25 when the Obidient movement caused a major upset they are yet to recover from.

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour or GRV as fondly called or ‘Chinedu’ (which has been ascribed to him in the current campaign) is not new to politics in the state. At different times, he has aspired to be chairman, Senator and ultimately the number one man in the state. On July 22, 2016, he contested Ikeja Local Government Chairmanship election under KOWA Party but lost. The following year, he joined the PDP and emerged the party’s Senatorial candidate for Lagos West.

In the build-up to the 2023 election, he was one of the governorship aspirants of the PDP who stepped down for Jandor. Daily Trust learnt that he stepped down for Jandor on the agreement that he would be the running mate but Jandor preferred Ms. Funke Akindele, popular Nollywood Actress.

In protest, GRV joined the Labour Party where he contested for the governorship primary and eventually won, thus emerging the party’s flagbearer for Saturday’s election. GRV who clocked 40 on March 8 is among the youngest set of the candidates contesting the forthcoming elections.

An architect by profession, Gbadebo has by virtue of the Obidient movement become the face of the age-long struggle by the opposition to take over the state, eclipsing Jandor who started early enough through his Lagos4Lagos Movement and embarked on street-walk campaign across the 246 wards in the state since the electioneering started.