Endorsement: Just Like Peter Obi Failed, Rhodes-Vivour Will Fail In Lagos – APC Mocks Afenifere

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the endorsement of the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour by the Afenifere leader in the state, Supo Shonibare as of no effect.

The spokesman of the Lagos APC, Hon. Seye Oladejo, said just like Peter Obi didn’t win the presidential race despite getting the backing of the Afenifere national leadership, Rhodes-Vivour will also lose in Lagos.

The APC further dismissed the endorsement by Afenifere as laughable and dead on arrival.

Naija News recalls the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour bagged an endorsement from the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere.

The group in Lagos declared its support for Rhodes-Vivour ahead of the March 18 governorship election in the state.

The Afenifere leader in the state, Supo Shonibare, at a press conference on Wednesday in Lagos, made the pronouncement.

Shonibare explained that the election is not supposed to be a tribal war but about ideas, adding that Lagos residents should ignore provocative posts on social media because the propagators of such posts want to pitch Yorubas against the Igbos.

Shonibare assured Lagosians that Rhodes-Vivour if elected as governor of Lagos, will form an all-inclusive government that will provide an enabling environment for all ethnic nationalities.

However, reacting in a statement on Thursday, APC said Afenifere has once again declared support for the wrong candidate.

Oladejo who spoke on behalf of the APC accused Afenifere of playing the politics of malice, envy, bitterness, and frustration.

He said, “Our attention has been drawn to a laughable charade called the endorsement of the Labour Party’s Lagos state governorship candidate, Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour, by the factional leader of Afenifere, Supo Shonibare.

“We would ordinarily have ignored this non-event but it will be a disservice to the general public if the records are not set straight.

“The so-called endorsement by attention-seeking and politically irrelevant people is ominous as they have consistently backed the wrong horse out of malice, envy, bitterness, and political frustration.

“Our political history is replete with many victims who lost elections due to the backing of these people who lack electoral value.”

He added, “The most recent was the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who’s now facing the reality of their valueless support.

“It underscores the group as an agent of confusion and retrogression.

“As elders and purported stakeholders in Lagos State, it was difficult to acknowledge the landmark achievements of the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu across the famed THEMES agenda.

“They sacrificed on the altar of bitter politics his proactiveness during the scourge of Covid-19, the inauguration of the light blue rail and Imota Rice Mill, massive construction of roads across the state, great investments in education, healthcare, the environment, transportation, entertainment, youth, and social development, women empowerment sports, tourism, science, and technology. Thankfully, Lagosians, who are the ultimate deciders, know better.

“Your recommendation of a candidate whose pedigree, antecedent, and political experience is shrouded in mystery is dead on arrival.”

Rhodes-Vivour Must Explain His Background

The statement accused the LP candidate of trying to reap where he did not sow, further accusing him of a relationship with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“Lagosians will at the polls massively reject a candidate known not to identify with his purported heritage and needed historians to weave together some tales by moonlight to sell him to a people he can not even speak their language.

“At this time and age, it’s not sufficient to make the exploits of his progenitors his selling points to administer the fifth-largest economy in Africa.

“Lagosians are begging for answers as regards his role during the destructive EndSARS protest and his relationship with IPOB,” APC submitted.