I Will Build Lagos That Works for All, Says Rhodes-Vivour

•Collapse your structure, join me to save Lagos, LP guber candidate tells PDP

Peter Uzoho

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has promised to liberate the state from the stranglehold of those that had held it captive for over two decades and to also make it work for the residents.

Also, yesterday, Rhodes-Vivour also said he was expecting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to collapse its structure and join him to save Lagos.

Speaking to journalists during his campaign tour of some parts of the state, Rhodes-Vivour urged the voters in the state to ignore the antics of those feeding fat on the commonwealth of the people of the state, who he said had levelled all kinds of frivolous accusations against him in their desperate bid to maintain their tight grip on the economic and political powers in the state.

He argued that some mischievous politicians who claimed to be more Yoruba than him only remember that they are of Yoruba ethnic group during every election season.

“When the South-west was invaded and our people were being killed, they did not speak out because they did not remember that they were Yoruba. It is ridiculous that somebody who is not an indigenous Lagosian is questioning my pedigree and my Lagos origin.

“How can somebody we did not know what his grandfather was doing question my origin? Lagos is not a no-man’s land. The indigenous people of Lagos have been crying over marginalisation for over 20 years.

“Other Yoruba people in Lagos have been excluded from the scheme of things by a few people who hijacked power for their selfish interest. There are also other Lagos residents who have contributed significantly to the development of the state. I will build a Lagos that works for everybody, irrespective of tribe and religion. Lagos is not a no-man’s land but it is tolerant; it is cosmopolitan; that is the culture of Lagos,” he explained.

He said he remains an original Lagosian and true son of his father, a lawyer, Mr. Olawale Rhodes-Vivour.

“I am a Lagos boy, an Omo Eko Proper, no doubt! To those doubting my Yoruba pedigree, I advise you to read Lagos history if as a Lagosian you don’t know the Rhodes-Vivour family pedigree and our stellar contributions to the development of Lagos – foremost legal luminaries and judges from 1800s such as Steven Bankole Rhodes, to my uncle the Supreme Court Judge, Bode Rhodes Vivour and my father, Barrister Olawale Rhodes Vivour a lawyer.

“The land upon which City Hall is built belongs to my family. My great parents owned the largest plantation in Lagos,” he added.

Rhodes-Vivour explained that he would not be distracted by the antics of those desperate to maintain their grip on power, stressing that this clique has impoverished Lagosians for too long.

“My focus is on how to uplift Lagos, my beloved state of birth and lineage, by resolving the perennial Lagos traffic problem by building four new rail lines in four years, whose multiplier effects would create jobs throughout our economy, resolving the massive unemployment and underemployment that is the ‘Agbero’ culture,” he said.

 He described the Yoruba-Igbo tribal card as a fabrication by the enemies of Lagosians to disunite the people and distract them from ending the 24 years of economic and political subjugation of Lagos State.

Rhodes-Vivour, who admitted that his mother is Igbo, while his father is Yoruba, described the Yoruba and Igbo ethnic groups as brothers.

Meanwhile, Rhodes-Vivour has said he was expecting the PDP in the state to collapse its structure and join him to save Lagos.

The LP candidate, popularly known as GRV, said this in an exclusive interview with Politics Hub.

He expressed hope that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would oversee a transparent electoral process, while stating that he is “prepared for the worse.”

He said: “I have a relationship with the PDP. I came from the PDP. I was in the PDP for six years. I was the senatorial candidate for the PDP in 2019.

 “I had the most votes in the party. I know the leaders in the party. We understand that at a practical level, we need to have as many people working together, especially because this election process is not free and fair.

“They promised us electronic transmission of votes, that did not happen. We saw the intimidation and harassment, and manipulations at the ward collation, LG collation.

“So we need everybody to work together to save and rescue Lagos. We are in talks with several parties.

“A few parties have collapsed their structures for us. I expect that the PDP would do the same very soon.”

On INEC, he remarked, “We have got an injunction and a court order to mandate INEC to follow rules that it has set out and failure to do that, the entire election is null and void.

“So they must do the election transmission of voting from the polling units. That is on one hand.

“On the other hand; we know that a lot of these people might be compromised. Just like the last election, it was very shameful, to say the least.

“So we are hoping for the best but we are prepared for the worst, and we are moving into this election with the idea that what happened previously will repeat itself again. So we are ready for any outcome.”

GRV also called out the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for evading public debates, saying it was “disrespectful’ of a governor who owes it to the people to account for his stewardship.”

Commenting further on those questioning his ethnic heritage to Lagos, he said: “A man from Ijebu is questioning a Rhodes-Vivour.”

“My great-great grandfather was the first Nigerian-Lagosian that was admitted into government in this country under Governor Bourdilion’s government; after which was Adeyemo Alakija, you then have Doherty.

“So when you see me and Funsho Doherty, it’s almost like history repeating itself. These are old Lagos families.

“To bring this kind of disrespect because you are desperate; if you had done the job well, you wouldn’t need to intimidate or suppress people’s votes.”