Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, has alleged that the persistent foreign loans secured by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration are being taken to influence and monetise the 2027 general elections.
Rhodes-Vivour made the claim in a recent interview with senior journalists while analysing the ruling All Progressives Congress’ (APC) reliance on ethnicity and state power in prosecuting elections. He stressed the urgent need for opposition leaders to form a coalition capable of challenging the incumbent in 2027.
“You saw how tightly contested 2023 was. If we are fair, you will see that there was an attempt by former President Muhammadu Buhari, now late, to conduct a free and fair election. There was a genuine attempt to ensure that the election would not be monetised.
“Now, that’s not going to be the case. You have seen the huge amount of money that is being borrowed by this government. That is what they are using the money for. A lot of these funds will come in to monetise these elections,” Rhodes-Vivour warned, urging Nigerians, particularly Lagos residents, to prepare ahead of the polls.
On steps being taken by the opposition, he explained that Nigerian voters are becoming more aware of the APC’s alleged “election rigging machinery,” which he identified as thuggery, vote-buying, police interference, and collusion with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He urged citizens to adopt a “vote and stay with your votes” approach, insisting that APC’s intimidation tactics can be neutralised by collective vigilance.
“We are letting people know from the beginning of our campaign that this is not a situation where you are going to vote and go home. All these thugs, all these Agberos, how many are they compared to us?
“Look at what happened during #EndSARS when they brought buses of these thugs with machetes to Alausa — they were chased and they ran away,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour further described the ruling party’s tactics as a betrayal of Lagosians after two decades in power.
“It is very painful to understand that the people who have been in charge of the state for over 20 years have to resort to violence and intimidation to win an election. They have had the benefit of over 20 years; I should not even be a threat. I am just 42 years old. I contested when I was 40. If they have touched the lives of the people, they should be able to say, ‘Omo boy, just sit down, these people are doing well for us; our life is better, our children are in good schools, let them continue.’”
He rejected the notion that opposition to Tinubu in Lagos was ethnic-driven, arguing instead that bad governance and neglect were the root causes.
“For example, Badagry Local Government is made up of indigenous Lagosians, yet they consistently vote for the opposition. Why? Because they have been abandoned for a long time. What the government does is punish them more. ‘Oh, you did not vote for me? No development is coming to you!’ This has built resentment to what it is today. Opposition raised the issue, and only then did they attempt to fix the Badagry Road,” he said.
