Leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State over the weekend received a new wave of defectors in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, including media entrepreneur and former Youth Party chairmanship aspirant, Ayodele Adio.
The induction ceremony took place in Lekki Phase 1, where Adio and his supporters were formally sworn into the party. Though the Lagos State Chairman, George Ashiru, was absent, ADC’s 2023 Lagos Central senatorial candidate, Yomi Idowu, and the Eti-Osa Local Government Chairman, Elizabeth Ekanem, administered the oath on behalf of the state leadership.
Also present was Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos, who defected to the ADC in 2025. Rhodes-Vivour stressed the need for opposition unity, saying, “If we are serious about offering Nigerians a credible alternative, the opposition must come together. Without unity, elections are lost before they are fought.”
Ekanem described the ADC as a citizen-focused platform aimed at driving national renewal and inclusive development. “ADC in Eti-Osa is positioning itself to amplify the voices of today’s citizens and future generations, while addressing Nigeria’s economic, educational, and humanitarian challenges,” she said.
Idowu praised Adio as a committed advocate for community development, noting that his decision to join the ADC would strengthen the party’s presence in Lagos and beyond. He also highlighted attempts to disrupt the ceremony as evidence of the ADC’s growing influence in the state.
Speaking at the event, Adio criticized successive Lagos administrations for neglecting public welfare. “Almost 50 years after former governor Lateef Jakande warned about poverty under our flyovers, that warning has become the reality for millions of Lagos residents,” he said.
He condemned rising rents, poor sanitation, and declining public health, arguing that many young people have been left vulnerable to despair, substance abuse, and social ills. “Governance should be about the greatest good for the greatest number, but that responsibility has been neglected in Lagos,” Adio added.
Adio said his decision to join the ADC was motivated by a desire to promote “a politics that treats every child as equally important and leaders as servants, not rulers.”
He and his supporters were formally inducted into the party, signaling the ADC’s intent to expand its influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
The event reflects the party’s ongoing strategy to attract prominent figures and grassroots leaders, reinforcing its position as a growing political alternative in Lagos State.