Former candidate of the Labour Party in the Lagos State governorship election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV) has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing him of practicing “agberocracy.”
GRV, known for his outspoken nature, made these remarks during an interview with actress and host Iyabo Ojo on her popular talk show, Gold Room with Iyabo Ojo.
He questioned Tinubu’s political dominance and his claim to represent Yoruba interests.
“Anybody that questions the hegemony of Bola Ahmed Tinubu or the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) always has their Yoruba identity questioned or taken from them,” GRV said during the interview.
He described this as an absurd notion, arguing that no single individual or party should define Yoruba identity.
Actress Iyabo Ojo, who hosted the discussion, expressed the need for national unity over ethnic affiliations.
“I think he should not just represent an ethnicity but Nigeria as a whole,” she remarked.
GRV, however, dismissed Tinubu’s claim of effectively representing the Yoruba people.
“I don’t even think he is a good representative of their ethnicity,” he said.
Drawing comparisons, GRV stated that Tinubu pales in comparison to Yoruba political icons like Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Awolowo, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s founding fathers, is remembered for his progressive policies and visionary leadership.
GRV argued that Tinubu’s leadership style is characterized by violence, manipulation, and propaganda.
“We practice an agberocracy—it’s about violence, who can spend the most money, who can manipulate and tell lies the most, propaganda,” he declared.
“For me, as a culture, if this is who we are looking at as our representative, we’ve fallen very badly.”
The term “agberocracy,” coined by GRV, plays on the Yoruba word “agbero,” which refers to touts or street-level enforcers.
GRV’s comments point to a broader frustration with the state of Nigerian politics, often criticized for being money-driven and devoid of transparency.
This isn’t the first time GRV has taken on Tinubu’s political machinery.
As the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 Lagos State election, he ran against the APC’s Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a close ally of Tinubu.
Though he lost, GRV gained popularity among young voters who were frustrated with the status quo.
In 2019, GRV made history as the youngest major-party senatorial candidate when he contested Lagos West under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Since then, he has become a prominent voice in Nigerian politics, advocating for transparency, accountability, and youth participation.
