Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has criticized the reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, claiming they disproportionately favor the president’s allies.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos during the 2023 elections, alleged that the reforms primarily benefit bankers, government officials, and the president’s close associates while leaving ordinary Nigerians worse off.
President Tinubu’s administration has implemented several key reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and the floating of the naira. However, Rhodes-Vivour argued that these measures have led to severe economic hardship for the majority of Nigerians.
“The people are experiencing unprecedented hardship. Today, over 70 percent of people’s income is spent on transportation and food. They have not even started to think about how they can afford accommodation,” he said. “The only people that seem to be benefitting from these reforms are maybe the bankers, the people in government, and the president’s friends. How many Nigerians can say they are benefitting from any reform right now?”
Rhodes-Vivour also criticized what he described as a “culture of wastefulness and extravagance” within the government, which he argued was inconsistent with the economic sacrifices being demanded of Nigerians.
On his political future, Rhodes-Vivour confirmed his intention to contest the Lagos governorship election again in 2027. When asked about his plans, he responded, “By God’s grace, yes.”
He further emphasized the importance of a unified opposition to challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he described as having achieved a “full state capture” of Nigeria’s political system.
“I believe that if all parties do not come together, it is going to be a waste of time running in 2027 because there is a full state capture happening in this country now,” he stated. “We cannot afford for the opposition to be separate. For now, my job is to ensure that I have a strong party—the Labour Party.”
