Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, has delivered a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, branding it a “failure” responsible for plunging Nigeria into its deepest cost-of-living crisis in four decades.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics on Tuesday, Rhodes-Vivour did not hold back. “This government ultimately has been a failure. When you talk about the quality of life and the cost of living, this is the highest cost-of-living crisis that Nigeria has faced in the last 40 years,” he declared.
The 42-year-old political activist further painted a bleak picture of the country’s worsening security landscape, highlighting that over 17,000 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity—over 10,000 in the North and about 7,000 in the South.
Citing Nigeria’s slipping position on the international tourism index, he lambasted what he termed the regime’s misplaced priorities. “You can talk of policies all you want, but if people are experiencing hardship, and at the same time you’re renovating the vice president’s residence, spending lavishly—it’s disgraceful. It’s the people who are being told to tighten their belts, while the government lives extravagantly,” he fumed.
Rhodes-Vivour also sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s economic deterioration under Tinubu’s leadership, claiming the country is now ranked among the ten poorest nations in the world. “We are now the 10th poorest country globally. That’s a staggering indictment of this government’s failure,” he said.
Calls for United Opposition in 2027
Rhodes-Vivour didn’t stop at criticism. He proposed a bold path forward: uniting the opposition to dislodge Tinubu in 2027. He warned against a repeat of the fragmented opposition that lost the 2023 election, suggesting that a combined force of Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar’s votes would have defeated the president.
“The only way we can move this country forward as an opposition is to come together; we cannot afford to divide our votes again,” he asserted. “We are already working on a coalition. You’ll hear an announcement soon—tomorrow or the day after. Everyone is coming together, and once that’s done, we’ll announce the party that will lead this new movement.”
Lagos Governor Sanwo-Olu Also Under Fire
Turning his attention back to Lagos, Rhodes-Vivour criticised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, accusing it of prioritising political and personal interests over genuine public service.
“This government in Lagos is about self-preservation and optics, not real development. It’s not about serving the people,” he concluded.
