The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has disclosed that his ambition to occupy the state governorship seat is not backed by any godfather as claimed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor.
Rhodes-Vivour revealed this on Thursday morning on Arise News.
Jandor was quoted to have said on Tuesday that Rhodes-Vivour was being endorsed by godfathers such as the PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George.
“I fought against godfatherism in the APC, Lagos. My refusal in recognising (Chief) Bode George as a godfather in the PDP is a major reason for his endorsement of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of LP against my candidature in the PDP,” Jandor said.
In his reaction, Rhodes-Vivour disclosed there was no godfather in the LP nor did he have one, adding that he only had mentors and leaders.
“I had no godfather in PDP. I only had mentors and leaders.
“There were rumours of money being embezzled. Money meant for rally, elections. The narrative he brought to get the ticket was that he would bring half of the APC to add to the PDP.
“That was the story. But all of them have gone back to the APC now. Where is the value?
“He got the ticket because all the leaders of the party on national level, from Ayu, even Obasanjo supported him. And now when tables have turned, he’s talking about godfatherism.”
Meanwhile, prominent indigenes of Lagos State under the auspices of Eko Forum have endorsed the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, for next Saturday’s election.
This is coming just as the forum urged all Lagos indigenes and residents to vote the Labour Party candidate whom it described as “a proper son of the soil.”
The Forum made its position known in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Chairman, Alhaji Ismaila Williams, and General Secretary, Olawale Ogundimu, in Lagos.
It said the decision to back Rhodes-Vivour was taken at the end of its extraordinary meeting held on Sunday.
“Members of the Eko Forum from all the 20 local governments as well as all the 37 local council development areas met on Sunday here in Lagos.
“Members took the decision to support our Rhodes-Vivour after carefully appraising the credentials of all other candidates that have put themselves forward to be elected,” the statement partly read.
The Forum said the Labour Party governorship hopeful scored high in the various indices that were used for the appraisal of the various candidates.
The indices used, according to the statement, included educational attainment, youthfulness, pedigree, and ability to relate with issues affecting the state.
It called on Lagosians to discard the rumours making the rounds that a Rhodes-Vivour-led government would undermine the interest of the Yoruba people.
The Forum stated, “On behalf of the members of our Forum, we want to disabuse the minds of unsuspecting residents that the Igbo ethnic nationality will take over Lagos if Rhodes-Vivour wins.
“The Igbo have been living with us in Lagos from time immemorial peacefully, we have intermarried and done a lot of things together for a long time. They never dragged the ownership of our land with us since and why will they do that now?
“This is cheap propaganda which our people should not fall for.”
The Punch
