Newsbreak: ADC leader, Aregbesola meets Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour

By Samuel Ogunsona

Politics is strange. Sworn enemies often end up finding themselves in the same boat.

The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Wednesday held a closed door meeting with the Labour Party, (LP) 2023 gubernatorial candidate Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

The meeting took place in Lagos, raising fresh concerns about Aregbesola’s new political friendship.

Rhodes-Vivour ran a controversial election in 2023. His opponents accused him of being a stooge of LP Presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi said to have imposed Rhodes-Vivour above other candidates in the LP.

Both Rhodes-Vivour and Obi are from Anambra State. Though Rhodes-Vivour’s father was born in Lagos, he had spent all his life in Anambra and was said to have claimed Anambra State in some of his statutory papers.

Obi was said to have insisted on Rhodes-Vivour for nothing other than being his kinsman.

The traditional Yoruba groups in Lagos State kicked vowing to defeat the LP and they did.

Rhodes-Vivour, who had placed his hope on Igbo population in Lagos, lost the Lagos Gubernatorial election, coming distant third.

Many Pan Yoruba groups see Rhodes-Vivour as a pun in the ethnic politics aimd at edging the Yoruba leadership out of their own ancestral land.

Social media posts of many supporters of the LP candidate express desired to “take over Lagos and sack the Tinubu leadership,” the veiled euphemism for Yoruba control of Lagos politics.

Lagos itself , though a former capital of Nigeria, is owned by the Yoruba people who had lived in the 3,300 plus square kilometer territory for more than ten centuries.

Sources told Irohinoodua that Aregbesola discussed with Rhodes-Vivour the forthcoming local government elections which comes up on Saturday and the 2027 Gubernatorial race in Lagos.

“Aregbesola is looking at tapping at the wave created by Rhodes-Vivour in Lagos during the last Gubernatorial election. It’s certain he wants the ADC and LP in Lagos to merge. It’s certain they will work together on Saturday during the Local Government election and certainly during the coming 2027 Gubernatorial election” a source close to the meeting told Irohinoodua.

After the meeting on Wednesday, Rhodes-Vivour wrote that he “Had a great meeting earlier today with Engr Rauf Aregbesola.”