Olawale Rhodes-Vivour, the father of Labour Party’s (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said that his son is a person of Yoruba ancestry.
Recall that since the Labour Party won the presidential election in Lagos State, the party’s governorship candidate has been facing issues over his source of origin as many described him an Igbo man from the southeast.
Speaking at a media briefing organised by Afenifere and the Committee of indigenous Lagosians, yesterday in Lagos, Rhodes-Vivour said his son is full-blooded Yoruba person adding that Gbadebo has no link with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“Gbadebo has no time for IPOB. This boy is highly educated, highly driven. We can track his record everyday in Lagos. He has no time for IPOB. Even Obi himself has come out to say he doesn’t support IPOB.
“Gbadebo is an activist, who reacts to anything negative within the law to ensure he is able to change the status quo. He doesn’t stop while pushing; he ensures he achieves his aim before resting, that is Gbadebo,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour who endorsed his son for the poll, said Gbadebo has a character and is rugged to finish what he has started.
He also stated that it is possible to “prevail against evil” if Lagosians come out en masse and vote his son.
“If we can see the writing on the wall that it is possible to prevail against evil, then please come out on the 11th of March and make it a resounding victory for all of us.
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared, come out on the 11th. We have put in place strategies. We are going to be proactive and not reactive on the 11th because if we got 900,000 votes and you gave us 500,000 votes, even though we beat you, still affect the overall turnout of the situation,” he said.
He said Nigerians have had enough and they just want normal, decent people in the position of power.
“Gbadebo is my son. Gbadebo is not a politician; he is an activist. That is the core character of Gbadebo. When he came out of school, he was busy leading marches to the legislature; he was debating with the minister of agriculture.
“Gbadebo, at heart, is just a good man because he reacts violently to anything negative. During his activism, he realised that it is difficult to change things as an activist and he decided to go back to school to have a Masters in Political Science,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Lagos chapter of Afenifere has endorsed the LP candidate for the election and cautioned the royal fathers in the state against partisanship.
The organisation’s leader in Lagos, Mr. Supo Shonibare, who gave the warning, stated that there would be consequences for royal fathers who engage in partisan politics, rather than being fathers to all parties.
He also urged local and international observers, as well as voters, to keep an eye on the conduct of the security agencies.
The Afenifere chieftain also assured Lagos residents that Rhodes-Vivour, if elected as governor of the state, would form an all-inclusive government that aimed at providing enabling environment for all ethnic nationalities.
“We implore Lagos residents to ignore provocative posts on social media aimed at fanning the embers of disunity among peace-loving residents and intended to pitch the Yoruba against Igbo.
“The narrative of Lagos State being taken over by Igbo is a false one, as Gbadebo is a Yorba man with his great father being one of the indigenous founders of new Lagos after colonialism. Lagos is not a no man’s land, it is a Yoruba territory.
“We assure Lagosians that the government of Rhodes-Vivour will comprise of indigenous Lagosians as well as providing and ensuring that all ethnic groups and foreign residents in Lagos are afforded their basic rights to ensure that they contribute to the continued growth of the city,” he added.
