Lagos Guber Race: APC Accuses LP Candidate Rhodes-Vivour Of ‘Irresponsible’ Campaign

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state has berated the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, over allegation of threat to his life.

Making appearance on Arise TV on Sunday, Rhodes-Vivour had alleged that he has received several Intel about potential assassination attempts on his life.

Rhodes-Vivour will slug it out with the incumbent governor and governorship candidate of APC, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olajide Adediran, at the polls on March 18.

“There have been lots of threats. We have gotten a lot of intel about potential assassination attempts on my life. Yes, it happened in Epe.

“We had Honourable Wale Oluwo with us and we also had Honourable Najid of the PDP working with us and they were also shot at in Epe yesterday,” he had said.

THE WHISTLER on March 6 reported that a former National Deputy Chairman of PDP , Chief Bode George, at a press conference had also alleged that there were plots to eliminate Rhodes-Vivour.

George warned that nothing must happened to the 40-year old governorship candidate whose party’s rising profile has become a sort of threat to the ruling APC in the state.

“We wish to inform Nigerians about the heinous plan, to secretly eliminate the Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the latest move by the take Lagos occupiers, to take him out of circulation before the election on Saturday.

“We, hereby, warn that, should anything happen to this vibrant bonafide Lagosian, who fate has thrown up to free our dear state from the stranglehold of marauders, Nigerians should know who to hold,” George had said.

However, reacting to the allegation in a statement, the Spokesman of the Lagos APC, Seye Oladejo, said it was irresponsible politics for Rhodes-Vivour to be making allegation that is capable of heating up the polity.

Oladejo noted that the party holds dearly the sanctity of human life and the right of citizens to live together without molestation.

“Our attention has been drawn to a publication where the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State alleged a threat to his life.
“For the umpteenth time, we need to reiterate that it is irresponsible politics to recklessly continue to heat up the polity in the name of politicking by leveling allegations that could throw the general public into panic.
“It is not enough to allege, it’s more important to take measures to formally complain to the appropriate authorities over a matter as serious as a threat to life.
“It remains the constitutional duty of the police to investigate crimes, effect arrests and prosecute. There’s no doubt that resorting to media sensationalism is suspicious of the real intention of the allegedly threatened.
“As a party, Lagos State APC holds dearly the sanctity of human life and the right of citizens to co-exist without molestation amid due respect to the benevolent host community.”
“Lagos State since the advent of this dispensation has remained the most peaceful and secured in the country due to the priority attention accorded to the issue of security of lives and properties of all citizens by successive administration in the state,” Oladejo said.

According to him, the LP governorship candidate has been exposed as a tribal bigot and a religious fanatic whose aim is to destroy what unites the people.

“During this electioneering period, we have not recorded any serious security breach despite the hostility and provocation unleashed on Lagosians’ sensibilities through mindless campaigns based on tribe, religion and other sundry issues quite alien to our culture and tradition.
“We wish to state clearly that Chinedu is merely holding to straws, having been exposed as a candidate lacking the requisite knowledge, commitment, exposure, wherewithal and maturity to aspire to the highest office in the state.
“He has been exposed as a tribal bigot and a religious fanatic determined to put a knife on the rope that ties us together.
“His record of effortlessly potting from his old party after losing the primaries to his new bed fellows is certainly not representative of the new Nigerian leadership craved by all and sundry, especially the youths. It smacks of crass opportunism bordering on mindless desperation.
“We have no doubt that he is afraid of his shadow as we count down to the governorship election when reality will displace fiction,” he concluded.