Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Lagos State Labour Party Governorship Candidate, has come under scrutiny for a recent video in which he made controversial statements about the upcoming elections in the state. In the video, he is heard saying:
“I will have militant group and elections will be war, if they allow Sanwo-Olu to rule. If you notice, MC Oluomo came on video and say that he would do this and that. The next time he came with machete and cutlasses and they were chopping people into Lagos around 5 am. And we could see 20 to 30 hooligans in each polling units. We know the people in Trade Fair, Koshofe that perpetrated and enabled all of these and we are gathering evidence. See nobody is going to get away with this because this is not our Gbadebo anymore, the moment these people get away with these, any further election in Lagos State is war. It just means that if I want to be governor of Lagos state, I have to have a militant group and guns.”
While it is understandable that Rhodes-Vivour may be frustrated with the current state of politics in Lagos, his comments about forming a militant group and using guns are deeply concerning. This type of rhetoric has no place in a democratic society, and it is vital that all candidates and their supporters conduct themselves peacefully during the election process.
It is also important to note that Rhodes-Vivour’s accusations against MC Oluomo and others must be thoroughly investigated and any evidence of wrongdoing should be presented to the appropriate authorities. However, making threats and inciting violence is not the answer, and it is essential that all parties involved in the election process act responsibly and with respect for the rule of law.
