2027: Rhodes-Vivour Rejects Obi, Backs Atiku

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has reaffirmed his support for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as his presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Rhodes-Vivour made his position known in an interview with BBC Igbo published on Monday, October 5, 2026, amid political differences between Atiku and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who previously featured prominently in Rhodes-Vivour’s political campaign.

He, however, stressed that his political relationship with Obi remained cordial, insisting that developments at the national level had not altered his personal disposition towards the former Anambra governor.

Rhodes-Vivour said his overriding political priority was Lagos State, which he described as his “first priority” and “first love”, adding that his political decisions would be guided primarily by what he considered beneficial to the state.

The ADC candidate explained that his political association with both Atiku and Obi had evolved across different election cycles, noting that Atiku was the presidential candidate when he first contested for the Senate while Obi served as Atiku’s running mate at the time.

He recalled that the political configuration changed during the subsequent election, when Atiku and Obi contested separately for the presidency, with Obi eventually becoming the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election.

Rhodes-Vivour said his present political affiliation with the ADC had settled the question of his presidential preference for 2027, as Atiku is now the party’s presidential candidate and therefore the candidate he intends to support.

“I’m in the ADC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is my presidential candidate, that’s where I am, so we are going to do everything we can for our party as the ADC,” he said.

He nevertheless maintained that Nigerians should exercise their democratic choice freely, urging voters to support whichever candidate they believe can move the country forward while ensuring that their votes count.

The declaration is significant because Rhodes-Vivour was previously the Labour Party’s Lagos governorship candidate in the 2023 election, when he campaigned alongside Obi, who was the party’s presidential candidate.

Rhodes-Vivour also addressed the recurring description of Lagos as a “no-man’s land”, rejecting the expression and arguing that it disregards the historical identity and ancestral heritage of the state.

He questioned the logic behind the description by pointing to the ownership and sale of land in Lagos, asking who sells property to people if the state is supposedly a “no-man’s land”.

The ADC candidate described the expression as deeply offensive, saying it constituted an insult not only to him but also to his ancestors.

Rhodes-Vivour’s declaration comes as opposition parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, with the ADC positioning itself as a major platform for political realignment ahead of the presidential and governorship contests.

The ADC formally listed Rhodes-Vivour among its governorship candidates for the 2027 elections in September, reinforcing his position as the party’s principal challenger in the Lagos governorship race.

His latest comments therefore establish a clear political alignment ahead of 2027, with Rhodes-Vivour seeking the Lagos governorship under the ADC while backing Atiku at the presidential level.

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