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By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the, 2027 African Democratic Party, ADC governorship candidate for Lagos made a brief and surprise appearance at the recent Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos General Assembly meeting held at Gbajabiamila Conference Hall, Lagos state University, Ojo. He spoke to Daily Sun on the sidelines of the meeting, about his governorship ambition, state of the nation, the youths, insecurity among other topical national issues. The young politician who was the Labour Party Lagos governorship candidate in the 2023 election said inclusivity and transparency in government will be his government’s watchword if he wins next year’s election.
Freedom of association as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution notwithstanding, many will be wondering and pondering your presence at the gathering of the apex Igbo socio- cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos chapter. What brought you here today?
The main reason I’m here is to say thank you to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos. My mother, Mrs Nkechi Stella Rhodes- Vivour passed on recently and we buried her about a month ago and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos chapter was there to support us, console us and mourn with us, so I came to say thank you and also redeem my pledge because when an illustratrous daughter like my mum passes, you must celebrate her by giving something, so that’s why I’m here today.
Ahead the 2027 elections, what are your expectations from Lagosians?
We want a Lagos that works for everybody, a Lagos that does not discriminate, a Lagos that is truly a metropolitan state- which makes Lagos special, which makes Lagos the richest state. Indigenous Lagosians are welcoming of everybody. We want a Lagos that will be united, a Lagos that will be peaceful, a Lagos where everybody will succeed. That’s is the Lagos we are working for and I pray that every Lagosian aspires and want something like that- a Lagos that works for everybody. If Lagos works for everybody, it is most likely it will work for you.
You will be facing a political structure that has been in charge of Lagos for close to three decades, how optimistic are you that you and your party, the ADC will dislodge the ruling APC here in Lagos from power?
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It is not about being optimistic; it is not my optimism, it is our optimism. All of us are experiencing the decay. The roads that led us here, how are they? We are all in it, all of us are experiencing it. When we were coming here, all of us saw the mountain of trash, the trash on the road. We all saw how dirty the road is. During the rains, I’m sure some of you were in the floods. Some of you had your cars and your buses damaged by the flood. So, it is not just about Gbadebo.It is all about Lagos, it is about all of us. For 27 years these people have been handling the affairs of Lagos, if they can’t do it in 27 years, they have tried. We respect them, they have tried but it is time for someone else to try. If you cannot solve a problem in 27 years, you are not going to solve it in the next four years.
As next year’s elections approach, what is your message for the youths?
Nigerian youths will be the biggest losers if we dont get it right next year. Now, look at all the foreign loans these people are borrowing here and there, most of these leaders borrowing the loans, I’m not wishing anybody bad, but when it is time to repay the loans, most of them would have passed on. It is us that have children, that are raising families, that pay rent, that pay school fees, that are looking for good healthcare system for our children, good education system for our children that are going to repay them. So, the youths will lose more if we dont get it right. The youths must come out and stand to rescue their state, rescue their country. Look at Abia state for instance, you hear what the majority of people are saying about their governor: One leader, a good leader has come and changed their lives, changed their destinies. People are turning off their fridges because there is too much electricity, they are seeing the good work their governor is doing and that is the power of good leadership. So, let us not make our politics look as if its Premiership match. The game affects you for the next four years after the election.
Your words for Lagosisns
Come out, vote. Protect your vote.If they bring money to buy your vote, collect their money and vote the right person because it is your money. It is your money; they stole it, it is your money. It is the money that should have made your life easier. They said they removed subsidy yet prices of food in the market are high, electricity expensive, fuel expensive, everything expensive.
If you win, what will be your focus in your first 100 days in office?
To make Lagos finances, the records transparent so that everybody will see what we are using thrir money for. What you find is that in this government, a generator that costs N14m for example, they will claim it costs N140m. We need our money to do the work it suppose to do, to make lives of the people better.
