The Labour Party (LP) has criticized its former Lagos State governorship candidate, Rhodes Gbadebo Vivour, for what it described as his hasty defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Vivour formally joined the ADC on Saturday, but in a statement issued on Sunday, Labour Party’s interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, advised him to “hurry slowly,” stressing that politicians who genuinely seek to serve the people must demonstrate patience and political maturity.

“By jumping the gun and hastily jumping boats, Vivour has shown, from our viewpoint, that he is still to learn some imperative essentials in his young political journey,” the party said.

The Labour Party reiterated its position that a single opposition party contesting against President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 may not be strong enough to secure victory. According to the statement, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is working with other opposition groups to form a broad coalition ahead of the elections.

“Our party’s view is that a rainbow coalition of multi-party colours, carrying along Nigeria’s ballot population and driven by a unifying electoral mobilisation, is what Nigerians need to sack the APC and President Tinubu’s dictatorship in 2027,” the party stated.

It explained that Obi has been engaging not just with the ADC and PDP, but also with critical stakeholders within the APC across various geopolitical zones, in a bid to build consensus around a common opposition front.

The party further revealed that at the appropriate time, a coalition of progressive forces will take key decisions, including agreeing on a joint presidential candidate and adopting the most viable governorship candidates across states, regardless of party platforms.

“This is the democratic process that will restore the beauty of multi-party democracy, which the current APC tyranny under President Tinubu is determined to stamp out,” it said.

Labour Party stressed that Obi’s decision not to defect or enlist in another party reflects his commitment to the LP as his true political base.

The statement concluded by urging Vivour to have followed Obi’s example: “That is what Labour Party had expected him to do if he were reading well the signs on the wall.”