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LAGOS — Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate for Lagos State in the 2023 election, has expressed support for the recent reunion of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi.
Atiku and Obi, who were rival presidential candidates in the 2023 election under different political parties, met on Saturday in Yola, Adamawa State. Obi served as the keynote speaker at the convocation lecture of the American University of Nigeria, owned by Atiku.
Reacting to a widely circulated photo of the two politicians together at the event, Rhodes-Vivour described the development as a step toward forming a stronger opposition coalition.
“We must form a united opposition to end this T-pain remix that we are all featuring in,” Rhodes-Vivour posted on X, referencing a popular nickname for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on social media.
The photo and the possibility of an alliance between Atiku and Obi have sparked mixed reactions, especially among members of the “Obidients,” a grassroots movement supporting Obi’s presidential ambition.
While some members of the movement welcomed the partnership as a strategic move to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress, others expressed concerns over the potential implications. Some have threatened to withdraw their support if Obi were to accept a vice-presidential role in any future arrangement with Atiku.
This meeting marks the first public appearance of the two political heavyweights since the 2023 elections and has ignited speculation about the prospects of a realignment in Nigeria’s political landscape.
