Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour Out of His Shell

Humility is the armour of the vanquished. A forced armour, yes, but one that is readily available as the drums of battle begin to fade. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (alias GRV) has come out of his shire after recovering from the loss of his gubernatorial mandate. Looking sharp, GRV has lots of things to tick off his list, including reintegrating with the people of Lagos, aristocrats and commoners.

State-wide attention recently turned to GRV briefly after his sighting at The Sun Awards. Standing alongside his Labour Party principal, Peter Obi, GRV got a lot of nods from passersby. Perhaps because he has been low-profile since the election that saw Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu retained as Lagos State governor, hearts have grown fonder and cups were raised in GRV’s direction.

Unlike Obi who has remained in the public space since losing the presidential election in 2023, GRV did not spend too much time sobbing over his loss. After tidying up one or two things, including a failed court case to push Sanwo-Olu aside, GRV mostly disappeared from the limelight.

The only time his name came up in the last three months, it was for good. It was the matter of his wife, Ify, accused of refusing to pay for the services of a writer and social media manager. After social media warriors dragged her up and down, GRV arrived on the scene and resolved the issue, paying off the finger-pointing social media manager and salvaging the image of his wife and family.

Although nobody knows if GRV’s reappearance is permanent, it is a comforting thing for his followers that he is still around these parts. He may even win more supporters for himself now that things are a bit difficult nationwide. GRV can throw the “I told you so” banner and get some Lagosians to nod acquiescently.

Since he is out of his shell, GRV stands a chance to touch the grassroots. It would be odd if he disappeared in the coming days and only appeared when gubernatorial elections are around the corner.