Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos State, has declared President Bola Tinubu’s administration a “complete failure,” citing Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in four decades and escalating insecurity.
Speaking during a ChannelsTV interview on Tuesday, Rhodes-Vivour decried the deteriorating living conditions under the current government. “This government has failed. Nigeria is now the 10th poorest country in the world, and citizens are grappling with the highest cost of living in over 40 years,” he said.
He also lamented the worsening security situation, claiming that over 10,000 people have died in the North and around 7,000 in the South due to violent attacks and insecurity since Tinubu assumed office.
Rhodes-Vivour criticised what he described as the administration’s misplaced priorities, particularly its lavish spending amidst widespread hardship. “You cannot be spending billions on renovating the vice president’s residence when Nigerians are suffering,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Rhodes-Vivour urged the opposition parties to unite and avoid repeating the mistakes of 2023, when vote splitting paved the way for the APC’s victory. He hinted at an imminent coalition announcement, saying, “You will hear something in the next few days — we are coming together.”
He further took aim at Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, accusing him of prioritising self-interest over public service. “Leadership is not about self-preservation; it’s about serving the people,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour’s comments underscore growing discontent among opposition figures and set the stage for intense political realignments ahead of the 2027 polls.
