A former Lagos State governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has warned President Bola Tinubu that acting like a dictator will cost him Lagos in the 2027 general elections.

He condemned the hardship routinely inflicted on Lagos residents during the president’s visits to the state, likening the situation to colonial-style rule.

The LP chieftain compared the situation to major cities like Paris and London, noting that the movements of national leaders rarely interfere with daily life.

Speaking to newsmen, he said, , “I understand that it hurts the president deeply to have lost Lagos in the last election but acting like a conquistador as a pay back, where thousands of people must endure agonizing stress and chaos consistently every time you’re in town, is going a bridge too far.

“I lived in Paris for a couple of years, and not once did we experience chaos because the President was driving past our district.

“When I was in London, not only did I once shop in the same store as the Mayor, I have on several occasions been in the same vicinity as the Prime Minister. Not once did our lives have to pause for the PM to drive or walk past.”

He accused Tinubu of perpetuating a culture of political elitism that prioritizes personal aggrandizement over public service.

“This obsession with being the” big man” – viewing citizens as subjects who are beneath and should be trampled on, is the reason you lost in 2023 and is the reason you will lose again in 2027,” Rhodes-Vivour warned.

In a direct message to the president, he emphasised that the electorate will not forget the inconveniences and indignities suffered at the hands of power displays disguised as security protocols.

“I make bold to remind you that you are in office to serve the people, and these same people you have kept trapped in traffic for hours, who missed doctors appointment, a loved one event, a business transaction or whose minds have had to endure this humiliation, will certainly have their day soon,” he stated.