2023 Lagos Election: Rhodes-Vivour Blames Defeat on Violence and Voter Suppression

The Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has attributed his defeat to incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to widespread violence and voter suppression.

Rhodes-Vivour made this known in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, stating that the culture of political violence was the most significant factor in the outcome of the election.

He said: “When you have normalised violence against a group of people, eventually that violence should meet you.

You look at what happened in the State Assembly where a majority — more than 90 per cent — decided they wanted someone else to speak on their behalf, to represent them, and they went through the entire process.

“They voted, they stood their ground, despite intimidation and the force that was used against them. But you see how that same force was used to cut short the will of the people in the State Assembly.”

According to Rhodes-Vivour, the obstacles he faced went beyond political opposition and were rooted in systemic voter suppression and intimidation.

“It’s a culture of violence, intimidation, and voter suppression, and I think that was the main obstacle for me in the 2023 elections,” he added.

The Labour Party candidate’s remarks come amid continued debate over electoral conduct in Lagos and the broader implications of political violence for Nigeria’s democracy.