Political Tensions Rise as Desmond Elliot Fails in APC Primaries

Three-term Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Surulere Constituency I on Wednesday amid controversy and allegations of intimidation during the exercise.

Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, sought a fourth term but lost after a tense primary marked by internal party disagreements and political rivalry.

The lawmaker had faced a prolonged political rift with some of his former allies, who reportedly withdrew support for his re-election bid.

Party stakeholders allegedly asked Elliot to step down for another aspirant, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who also contested for the seat. However, Elliot refused and continued with his ambition.

Tension increased during the primary as supporters of the lawmaker accused some individuals of intimidating and harassing them to stop them from participating in the voting process.

Members of Elliot’s media team also alleged that some people deliberately tried to suppress votes in favour of the incumbent lawmaker. They said journalists and party observers documented incidents at different voting centres.

According to the team, they would release reports and footage of the alleged harassment. They also insisted that concerns about the credibility of the exercise existed before voting started.

“We already knew that it was not going to be a free and fair primary, which is why members of Desmond Elliot’s media team invited conventional media organisations to monitor and document the process,” a member of the team said.

As of the time of filing this report, the leadership of the APC in Lagos had not officially responded to the allegations surrounding the conduct of the Surulere primary election.