Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has hinted at running again for the position, stating that he is learning from past mistakes and working to strengthen his political movement.
Speaking during an interview on Iyabo Ojo tv on YouTube and published on Sunday, Rhodes-Vivour emphasised the importance of staying visible and active in opposition politics, unlike what he described as the usual practice of going silent after elections.
“By God’s grace, we are working. We gained a lot of traction, we also saw our mistakes, we saw the loopholes we made, and we’re working on that, I think the biggest mistake that has happened in Lagos politics is after elections, the opposition goes quiet, which is not, that is not happening this time,” he said.
He criticised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration for what he described as extravagant spending amidst widespread hardship.
Rhodes-Vivour called out the alleged misuse of taxpayers’ money, citing instances such as the payment of personal legal bills, spending nearly ₦200 million on unspecified projects, and claims of ₦2 billion allocated for purchasing fans and consultants for bus networks.
Rhodes-Vivour said, “For instance, when we called out that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is using taxpayers money to pay his own personal legal bills or how they’re using, yes, almost 200 million Naira, or how they use almost two billion, say they wanted to buy fans or spending billions on consultants for bus routes and bus networks.
“With the level of suffering that Nigerians and Lagosians are dealing with, we need to have accountability and transparency. Our government must be using our money in the most efficient way possible, and that is the work of the opposition.”
The Labour Party candidate also highlighted ongoing efforts to engage with Lagosians through health outreach programs and micro-health insurance plans, offering free treatment worth up to ₦6,000.
“We’re in people’s faces, we’re doing our best in terms of health outreaches; we have a micro-health insurance plan that we’re taking all across the state where people can get treatment of up to six thousand Naira for free and just being up to date to current affairs,” he said.
Punch