Only Lagosians can fire their governor, says Rhodes-Vivour

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the former Labour Party governorship candidate for Lagos State, has strongly condemned what he perceives as an erosion of democratic agency, asserting that the selection and removal of the state's governor should solely rest with its citizens. His remarks on X serve as a direct challenge to the political machinations he believes are concentrating power in the hands of a select few, dismissing such attempts as "insulting to many and must no longer be tolerated."

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The APC, and particularly Mr President, are mistaken to believe they have stripped Lagosians of agency.

Rhodes-Vivour's critique is particularly pointed in the context of recent viral reports, which the Lagos State Government has vehemently denied, claiming Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was asked to resign due to health issues. He argues that reducing the leadership question to the "feelings or hallucinations of one man and a gang of kleptocrats" undermines the will of the people. His call for leadership that is "accountable and beholden to the people of Lagos" ahead of the 2027 elections is a rallying cry for genuine popular sovereignty.

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That who becomes governor or when to remove the said governor is reduced to the feelings or hallucinations of one man and a gang of kleptocrats is insulting to many and must no longer be tolerated.

From a Lagosian perspective, Rhodes-Vivour's stance resonates with a broader desire for self-determination in governance. The assertion that "Only the people of Lagos can and must determine those who will lead them" speaks to a deep-seated belief in the democratic rights of the state's residents. His framing of the issue as a fight against "babasọpe criminality" and a push to "restore #OurLagos" taps into local sentiments, positioning the upcoming elections as a critical juncture for reclaiming political power for the masses.

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Only the people of Lagos can and must determine those who will lead them. Only them also reserve the right to decide when they are fed up with who governs the state.