The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has described as laughable, the endorsement of the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, by a faction of the Pan-Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Afenifere.
metrowatchxtra.com reports that the Afenifere faction led by Chief Supo Shonibare had at a news conference in Ikeja, Lagos capital, on Wednesday, backed the candidacy of the LP candidate, directing its members to vote LP.
“Afenifere hereby enjoins all men and women of goodwill to turn out en-masse on Saturday to vote for Architect Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour – a scion of the illustrious Rhodes-Vivour family of Lagos, whose family ancestry and pivotal contribution to the affairs of Lagos dates back to five generations. Gbadebo is sure to make a huge difference,” Shonibare said.
While reacting to the endorsement, Spokesman of the Lagos APC, Hon. Seye Oladejo, described the move as “dead on arrival”, noting that the factional group has consistently backed the wrong horse out of malice, envy, bitterness, and political frustration.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a laughable charade called the endorsement of the Labour Party’s Lagos state governorship candidate, Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour, by the factional leader of Afenifere, Supo Shonibare.
“We would ordinarily have ignored this non-event but it will be a disservice to the general public if the records are not set straight.
“The so-called endorsement by attention-seeking and politically irrelevant people is ominous as they have consistently backed the wrong horse out of malice, envy, bitterness, and political frustration.
“Our political history is replete with many victims who lost elections due to the backing of these people who lack electoral value.”
“The most recent was the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who’s now facing the reality of their valueless support.
“It underscores the group as an agent of confusion and retrogression.
“As elders and purported stakeholders in Lagos State, it was difficult to acknowledge the landmark achievements of the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu across the famed THEMES agenda.
“They sacrificed on the altar of bitter politics his proactiveness during the scourge of Covid-19, the inauguration of the light blue rail and Imota Rice Mill, massive construction of roads across the state, great investments in education, healthcare, the environment, transportation, entertainment, youth, and social development, women empowerment sports, tourism, science, and technology. Thankfully, Lagosians, who are the ultimate deciders, know better.
“Your recommendation of a candidate whose pedigree, antecedent, and political experience is shrouded in mystery is dead on arrival.
“Lagosians will at the polls massively reject a candidate known not to identify with his purported heritage and needed historians to weave together some tales by moonlight to sell him to a people he can not even speak their language.
“At this time and age, it’s not sufficient to make the exploits of his progenitors his selling points to administer the fifth-largest economy in Africa.
“Lagosians are begging for answers as regards his role during the destructive EndSARS protest and his relationship with IPOB.”
