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The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congres (APC), has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC), governorship ticket of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Babatunde Gbadamosi as a “political experiment” ahead of the 2027 election.
The ADC had named Rhodes-Vivour, who contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election on the Labour Party platform, as its governorship candidate, with Gbadamosi as his running mate.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, said the emergence of the duo did not, on its own, amount to governing experience or demonstrate the grassroots political structure required to run Lagos.
Oladejo argued that Lagos could not serve as an “internship centre” for political experimentation, stressing that governing the state required experience in managing its bureaucracy, budget and complex infrastructure.
He also questioned the executive experience of the two ADC candidates, pointing to their participation in different political parties in previous election cycles.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with political evolution, but party-hopping is not political institution-building.
“Lagos is a sophisticated economy with complex infrastructure and demanding urban-management challenges. Where is the record of managing a state bureaucracy or supervising a state budget?” Oladejo asked.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that Rhodes-Vivour finished second in the 2023 governorship election with 312,329 votes, behind Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who polled 762,134 votes.
He, however, argued that electoral performance should not automatically be equated with administrative capacity.
Oladejo challenged the ADC candidates to present a detailed plan for governing Lagos, including how they would finance and implement projects and ensure continuity in ongoing government programmes.
“The Lagos APC welcomes the Rhodes-Vivour/Gbadamosi ticket let the contest begin.
“However, the opposition should not expect Lagosians to confuse political noise with political strength, or electoral ambition with governing capacity,” he said.
