By Harry Awurumibe
As the people of Lagos state, Nigeria’s economic capital and the most cosmopolitan city in the country, troop out on Saturday, March 11, 2023, to elect a governor who will pilot the political, social and economic affairs of the state of aquatic splendour, they need to think carefully who amongst the flagbearers of the political parties who have fielded candidates in the Governorship Election can best serve the people better.
The residents of the state made up of Lagos indigenes and none indigenes especially those who have their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC), are required by the Nigeria Constitution to vote in the election as long as the voter is up to 18 years and above, to chose who will govern the state for the next four years.
For this reason, voters should take critical analysis of the decision they want to make before casting their votes for any candidate just as they are required to know the type of person they want to vote for on March 11, bearing in mind that if an unsuitable person is voted into office it is the people who reside in the state that will suffer bad administration.
In that case, the people will not enjoy the dividend of democracy if they elect a wrong person as governor because a bad administration led by incompetent and visionless governor cannot offer citizens anything to cheer.
Worse still, infrastructural development such as good road networks, functional transport system (both surface and marine), provision of pipe borne water, rural and urban development, qualitative healthcare system, housing facilities and provision of social amenities that will benefit the people of the state, will not be provided if the governor who lacks capacity is voted to preside over the affairs of a state for four years.
Lagosians are in a better position to say if the above listed infrastructural development have occurred in this richest state in Nigeria since 2019, such that they have benefited the residents in many ways.
There are many barometers to measure massive infrastructural development in a state or country even as the wellbeing and life expectancy of the people will improve significantly.
But anyone who lives in Lagos; from Badagry to Epe, Apapa to Idimu, Ikorodu to Lagos Island, Victoria Island to Ajah, Ifako-Ijaye to Ikoyi, Agege to Lagos Mainland, Surulere to Festac Town, Ikeja to Okokomaiko, Mushin to Amuwo-Odofin and waterfront of Bariga, Akoka, Yaba and Ijora, will testify that life is not rosy in Lagos afterall, in terms of social amenities.
In spite of the humongous amount of money said to accrue to Lagos through the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), put at N51b on monthly basis, Lagosians still literally sleep on the road inside their vehicles daily because of terrible traffic gridlock witnessed by residents from Monday to Sunday.
This situation has been like that for decades and even getting worse by the day because of the daily influx of people into Lagos to do business, work and live.
Lagos and Lagosians have seen several administrations, dating back to 1970s when the federal capital was here but none have fixed the infrastructure question especially the urban mass transportation system as seen in other big cities like New York and Los Angeles in United States of America; Paris in France and London in United kingdom where transportation systems run efficiently.
In Lagos state like other states in Nigeria of today, government-funded social amenities and infrastructure are hard to come by yet politicians every four years, promise the electorate heaven on earth which they always fail to fulfil.
However, the March 11 Governorship Election in Lagos state has again provided the people of Lagos state another golden opportunity to chose whom they will like to govern in the way they want; at least to provide basic amenities and infrastructure which will make live easy for the residents and people who come to do business in the state.
Interestingly, the Lagos Gubernatorial race has become a three horse race involving the incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); Abdul-Azeez Adediran (aka Jandor) and youthful but highly qualified Labour Party flagbearer, Architect Gbadebo Chinedu Patrick Rhodes-Vivour.
The trio and indeed, all the governorship candidates have been campaigning and selling themselves and their manifestos to Lagosians and by Friday, March 10, all manner of Campaign activities will draw to a close ahead of March 11 election which will include electing new members of Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA).
But one governorship candidate whom Lagos voters should not ignore on Saturday because of what he stands for and his vision for a ‘New Lagos of Every Lagosian’s Dream’, is Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. His pedigree stands him miles apart from other candidates.
Popularly known by his initials GRV or nickname “The Hopeful Nigerian”, the name of Labour Party flagbearer in the 2023 Lagos state governorship election, sparks curiosity, evokes excitement and ignites a passion for change among those just getting to know him.
Also, at critical times like these in Lagos state, when people-centred paradigms have proven potent to shift decadent structures of slavery, godfatherism and money-politics, Lagosians need an authentic agent of change to ride the wave and birth a New Lagos that will restore its original glory.
No one else is primed to birth this New Lagos by bringing a great transformation and an influx of fresh air into a toxic environment that can make all the difference than Rhodes-Vivour.
Here is a Lagos original (Omo Eko Gan gan ni), as those who were born in Lagos Island pride themselves, even as his family name-Rhodes-is synonymous with Lagos dating back to pre-colonial years.
For those who already know him, the man behind the name is a dynamic trailblazer, thought leader and change agent who is making waves in his native Lagos State and beyond.
Yet, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour did not just drop from nowhere that cannot be traced. As they say, a good fruit does not fall far from its parent tree. Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour comes from a solid pedigree and respected family whose roots run deep as original, distinguished Lagosians! Born four decades ago into an illustrious family of accomplished legal practitioners, Gbadebo is the newphew to Supreme Court Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour and son of Mr. Olawale Rhodes-Vivour and Mrs. Nkechi Rhodes-Vivour.
The late Judge Akinwunmi Rhodes-Vivour was Gbadebo’s grandfather, just as he is also the great-grand son to Judge Steven Bankole Rhodes, the second ever indigenous judge appointed in Nigeria.
Aside his reputable pedigree, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has carved his own distinguished path through life as a well-educated and successful architect.
Born on March 8, 1983 (age 39) in Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria to the noble family of Rhodes-Vivour and raised in Ikeja, a balanced Lagosian, his primary and secondary school education was at Chrisland Primary Schools up to a point, before he went on to Paris in France to finish up at Ecol Artive Berlin.
For his university education, Gbadebo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Nottingham, UK as well as a Masters’ Degree in the same field from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA.
The university awarded him a Distinction for his Master’s Degree thesis, “Traditional revolution: formalizing the informal: a proposal for the “periphery urbanite” Lagos, Abuja & Port-Harcourt,” which focused on building a network of recycling facilities and garbage collectors in those cities to turn waste into a significant source of income and employment.
His unquenchable passion for Activism and Politics led him to acquire another Master’s Degree in Research and Public Policy from the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
He, then undertook his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) duty in 2008-2009 set.
Thus richly armed with sound education, Gbadebo would go on to prove his professional mettle over the years, working on critical architectural projects and also getting involved in principled policy activism. He founded Spatial Tectonics and serves on the boards of Alhuda Construction Nigeria and Delta International Commercial City Ltd.
An Activist, Public Policy Expert, Businessman, Architect, and Politician, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is also the convener of Nigerians Against GMOs(NAG), an organization that advocates against the authorization or introduction of Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) into Nigeria.
He has also been a frontrunner in advocating for the restoration of History in the school curriculum in Nigeria schools.
Meanwhile, GRV delved into Politics in 2007 when he contested for the Ikeja Local Government Chairmanship position under the umbrella of the KOWA party.
In 2019, he, however, clinched the party ticket to represent Lagos West senatorial district at the national assembly under the PDP. He lost to Senator Adeola Olalekan (Yayi).
Gbadebo headed to the tribunal to challenge the result. Citing incidents of widespread violence and discrepancies in the result, he requested a rerun, which wasn’t granted.
But, on August 10, 2022, Gbadebo relaunched his political career and emerged as the Labour Party’s flagbearer for the Saturday’s Lagos State Governorship Election after decamping from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Indeed, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is “The Man for a New Lagos”, a true visionary in the field of architecture, a trailblazer in his industry, and a pioneer of modern design in Lagos. With a keen eye for detail, a passion for innovation, and a deep understanding of the cultural and social fabric of the city, Rhodes-Vivour has earned a reputation as one of the most influential architects in Nigeria and beyond.
His unique perspective on Architecture is informed by his deep understanding of Lagos’ complex history, diverse culture, and challenging urban environment. He believes that the role of the architect is to create spaces that reflect and respond to the needs of the people who use them, while also promoting sustainable development and responsible urban planning.
Having a Yoruba father and an Igbo mother, and also being married to a distinguished Igbo wife all shows Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as a unifying force and breath of fresh air that can harmonize Lagosians and move the state forward without fear or favour.
Today, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is a force to be reckoned with, and a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication and a commitment to excellence. His passion for justice, his dedication to community service, and his unwavering commitment to creating a better world make him an inspiring role model for all.
He is the man for a new Lagos at this moment. A vote for him as Labour Party Governorship candidate is a vote to take back Lagos for Lagosians and finally bury the structure of corruption, slavery, violence and dictatorship in the state, known in local parlance as “Baba Sope Syndrome”.
This piece will not be complete without mentioning this report a Lagos Resident wrote after the recent harassment of none indigenes of Lagos state shortly after Labour Party flagbearer Peter Gregory Obi won the Presidential Election in the state to the surprise of the world.
It read in parts: “APC made two cardinal mistakes in Lagos State.
- Thinking, believing and making everybody to believe election is a fight between Yorubas and Igbos.2. Believing that anybody that is not Yoruba in Lagos must be Igbo.
They (APC) didn’t understand the basic sets of people who are against them. These include…
- The Aworis and Yorubas who are indigenous Lagosians.
- Danfo drivers and conductors.
- Car owners in Lagos State irrespective of where they come from especially those that have been scammed by LASTMA and VIO.
- Graduates who are working as uber drivers, Keke drivers, danfo and korope drivers and as conductors.
- Anybody who has ever lived in any Western country before for a period of up to a year and above but now live in Lagos.
- Aworis and Lagos indigenes who are doing agbero work.
- Graduates who are doing agbero work.
- Some members of other tribes who live and do business in Lagos.
- People who do business in markets but have allocated spaces outside under the sun that they are forced to pay for daily instead of shops.
- People who do business in the markets with their own shops (this is where 90% of Igbos belong).
- People have their shops on the streets that local government will lock and charge them ₦25k or more to open once they notice their name is neither Yoruba or Islamic names while they are collecting ₦3k from those with Yoruba names. (Igbos AND other tribes belong to this category).
- Okada riders (up to 70% of this category are northerners and Muslims)
- People who were shot at at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20th October 2020.
- People who lost family and friends at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20th October 2020.
- People who have bought properties in Lagos for donkey years and paid for everything requested of them but cannot get C of O to the property because their names are neither Yoruba names nọr Islamic names.
- Lest I forget, SOME Igbos. Most couldn’t care less if a gorilla is the governor as long as they do their business during the day and hit the joints at night. Unless they fall into any of the categories above.
Unfortunately APC lumped the whole 16 categories together as IGBOS and every election year you’ll start hearing threats and accusations against Igbos. We no send because we already know that it’s all mouth with zero action and that irrespective of who we vote, you’ll plant in your stooge.
This is why on Saturday, Igbos AND THE REST OF THE ABOVE 16 CATEGORIES, will come out en masse and vote out APC because this time our vote MUST count.
We will vote LP everywhere and after, APC will start threatening Igbos again, as usual. But this time, with an expiry date in sight”.
Finally, Liberation of Lagos from godfatherism which started on February 25 with the victory of the Labour Party in the Presidential election, should be completed on March 11 by Lagosians from all walks of life-civil servants, people from the informal sector, business owners, students and commercial bus drivers, okada riders, farmers and traders as well as fishermen.
Gbadebo Chinedu Patrick Rhodes-Vivour has energised his base enough to come out enmass to vote massively for him on March 11. Among his strong base are: The Obidient Movement, Obi-Datti Support Group, indigenous Lagosians and none indigenes made up of educated and polished Yorubas who may not even be Lagosians; Igbos, Hausas, Edos, Afemai, Igalas, Deltans, South Southerners and
Middle-Belt as well as foreigners from Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana who have naturalized in Lagos state.
Should the above mentioned troop out to cast their votes for the Labour Party as they did in the Presidential election of February 25, then Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is the Next Governor of Lagos State.
HARRY AWURUMIBE is a Public Affairs Analyst
