The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has questioned the governing experience and political structure of the Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Olufemi Gbadamosi ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 governorship election. APC spokesman Seye Oladejo stated that the emergence of the duo as opposition party candidates should not be mistaken for a guaranteed pathway to Lagos House.
Oladejo noted that Rhodes-Vivour had previously contested the 2019 Lagos West Senatorial election on the KOWA Party platform, later moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), emerged as the Labour Party's governorship candidate in 2023, and subsequently joined the ADC. Gbadamosi had also contested the 2019 Lagos governorship election on the Action Democratic Party (ADP) platform, polling 4,780 votes, before contesting the 2020 Lagos East Senatorial bye-election on the PDP platform.
According to Oladejo, while there was nothing wrong with political evolution, movement across political platforms did not amount to institution-building. He stressed that Lagosians had the right to question the governing experience of the opposition candidates. Oladejo emphasized that Lagos was not an internship centre for politicians seeking their first serious executive governance experience.
Oladejo asked where the candidates' experience was in managing a state bureaucracy, supervising a state budget, running a complex public institution, and translating campaign promises into government programmes and measurable outcomes. He acknowledged Rhodes-Vivour's performance in the 2023 governorship election, where he secured 312,329 votes to finish second behind Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who polled 762,134 votes.
However, Oladejo said coming second in a governorship election was different from having a record of governing. He added that the 2027 contest would require the opposition candidates to demonstrate institutional depth, political organisation, and governing capacity. Oladejo challenged Rhodes-Vivour's claim that he had spent the period since 2023 building grassroots structures.
Oladejo urged the opposition candidate to demonstrate the strength of his organisation across wards, local governments, and polling units. He said listing housing, transportation, healthcare, education, flooding, and economic development as priorities was insufficient, urging the opposition to provide details on funding, implementation timelines, costs, responsible institutions, and measurable outcomes.
The Lagos APC spokesman said the party welcomed the opposition ticket and was prepared to present its candidates, structure, record, and manifesto to voters. He maintained that the emergence of Rhodes-Vivour and Gbadamosi did not, by itself, establish their qualification to govern the state. The 2027 election would ultimately require voters to consider the candidates' organisation, political relationships, institutional knowledge, records, and capacity to deliver.
Key points
- Lagos APC questions GRV/Gbadamosi ticket's governance experience ahead of 2027 governorship election.
- APC spokesman Seye Oladejo challenges opposition candidates to demonstrate institutional depth and governing capacity.
- 2027 election will require voters to consider candidates' organisation, political relationships, and capacity to deliver.
