The Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has revealed that violence and voter suppression were the major reasons he lost the election to incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Rhodes-Vivour said the election was marred by a “culture of violence and intimidation” aimed at silencing the will of the people.

According to him, despite the strong support he received from the people of Lagos, the use of threats and force played a huge role in influencing the final outcome.

“When you normalize violence against a group of people, it eventually comes back to you,” he wrote. “You look at what happened in the State Assembly where over 90% of the people clearly wanted change and voted despite intimidation. But that same force was used to suppress the people's voice.”

He described the 2023 governorship poll as a reflection of deep-rooted electoral malpractice, where voter suppression and fear tactics were used to limit voter turnout and distort results.

Rhodes-Vivour's comments reignite discussions around electoral reform, transparency, and the need to protect voters from harassment during elections in Nigeria. His remarks also echo concerns raised by various observers about the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Lagos.