Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 elections in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the mastermind behind the state capture of Lagos, influencing key political decisions within the State assembly.
Speaking on Breakfast Xtra on Saturday, Rhodes-Vivour expressed frustration over state capture’s ambiguity and the reluctance to name those profiting from Lagos politics.
“It’s the ambiguity for me each time we talk about state capture or people profiting from Lagos State,” Rhodes-Vivour remarked, stressing the need for transparency. “I’m waiting for the day when somebody will come out and say the names.
According to him, the President, alongside political figures such as the Government Advisory Council (GAC), has played a crucial role in controlling the state’s political affairs, pointing to the recent political turmoil within the Lagos State House of Assembly as evidence of interference from the presidency.
The Labour Party candidate also criticised what he described as the illusion of democracy in Lagos, where political outcomes are allegedly manipulated behind the scenes.
“That’s why we call it state capture because there’s a seeming appearance of democracy, but in reality, the will of the people is not followed.”
When asked about the role of the government in the reinstatement of Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, Rhodes-Vivour was unequivocal in his response.
“So what you’re saying is that every instance that led back to Obasa’s return was orchestrated by who? I would say the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Rhodes-Vivour concluded by condemning the manipulation of political structures in Lagos, stressing that the federal government’s role in local political affairs is undeniable.
“From everything that has come out in the papers, it is clear that Mudashiru Obasa had the backing of the federal government.”
