The 2023 Lagos State governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu will lose his home state of Lagos again in the 2027 presidential election.
Recall that Mr Tinubu, a former governor of the state, suffered a surprising defeat during the 2023 presidential election when he lost his home state to the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
But reacting to the heavy traffic congestion caused by Mr Tinibu’s visit to attend the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS in Lagos on Wednesday, Mr Rhodes-Vivour decried the disruption and hardship routinely inflicted on residents during the president’s visits.
He likened Mr Tinubu’s action to another form of colonial-style rule, warning that such excesses will cost him the votes of Lagosians.
“I understand that it hurts the president deeply to have lost Lagos in the last election, but acting like a conquistador as a payback, where thousands of people must endure agonizing stress and chaos consistently every time you’re in town, is going a bridge too far,” he said.
While comparing the situation with his experiences abroad, the LP chieftain noted that even in major cities like Paris and London, the movements of national leaders rarely interfere with daily life.
“I lived in Paris for a couple of years, and not once did we experience chaos because the President was driving past our district.
“When I was in London, not only did I once shop in the same store as the Mayor, I have on several occasions been in the same vicinity as the Prime Minister. Not once did our lives have to pause for the PM to drive or walk past,” he added.
“This obsession with being the” big man” – viewing citizens as subjects who are beneath and should be trampled on, is the reason you lost in 2023 and is the reason you will lose again in 2027,” Mr Rhodes-Vivour warned.
“I make bold to remind you that you are in office to serve the people, and this same people you have kept trapped in traffic for hours, who missed doctors appointment, a loved ones event, a business transaction or whose minds have had to endure this humiliation, will certainly have their day soon,” he stated.
