Rhodes-Vivour Dumps Labour Party, Joins ADC Ahead of 2027 Elections

 

On Saturday, September 6, 2025, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour the former Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during a declaration event held within the Alimosho Local Government Area.

Rhodes Vivour framed his move as part of a broader opposition coalition effort aimed at uniting forces ahead of the 2027 general elections. He emphasized that:

“This is a coalition that is meant to rescue Nigeria. We cannot afford to divide the opposition going into the next election. We must come together, united through a robust coalition that will stand a chance in 2027 to deliver this country.”

He expressed optimism about the ADC’s potential to bring good governance and unity, stating:

“I’m happy to become part of this family… My prayer is that God will grant our leaders and the party’s structure the wisdom to come together and define a new path for our beloved country.

George Ashiru, Lagos ADC chairman, described the move as more than a defection it marks an affirmation of a political movement:

“We are not affirming one man, we are affirming a movement, but every movement has a leader, and what brother Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour represents is the leadership of a movement that shook Lagos in the last election.”

Professor Ola Olateju, representing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, encouraged supporters to view the ADC as a people-driven movement, stating that the party represents an exodus to rescue Nigeria, irrespective of ethnic or class divisions.

The Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed the defection, labeling it a familiar pattern of party-hopping and claiming it would not threaten their dominance:

“He is learning from his mentor… who finds it very easy to change parties… He was in the PDP a few months ago, later found himself in the Labour Party before the election, and now he is in ADC.