Nollywood actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot has officially rejected the outcome of the All_Progressives_Congress (APC) primary election for Surulere Constituency I, vowing to challenge his landslide defeat through the party’s internal appeal mechanisms.
The high-stakes political battle reached a climax following the official declaration of results on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, which saw new entrant Barrister Barakat Odunuga-Bakare secure a definitive victory. Odunuga-Bakare, widely reported to have the backing of the Chief of Staff to the President and Surulere political kingpin, Femi Gbajabiamila, polled an overwhelming 11,385 votes across the constituency. In stark contrast, Elliot, the two-term incumbent lawmaker first elected in 2015, managed to secure just 270 votes, most of which came from a single ward showing at Shitta/Ogunlana.
The Drama Behind the “Withdrawal”
The primary election at the Paddington mini-stadium along Western Avenue was marred by heavy confusion and conflicting reports. Early on Wednesday, a video circulated rapidly on social media showing a visibly frustrated Elliot declaring his withdrawal from the race at the venue, citing systemic intimidation.
However, addressing journalists hours later, the lawmaker explicitly clarified that he did not withdraw his candidacy, labeling initial media reports as fake news. Elliot explained that he merely instructed his agents and loyalists to stop participating in the live voting process to prevent an outbreak of physical violence.
Infidelity to the Process: Elliot’s Allegations
Expressing deep dissatisfaction with the integrity of the exercise, Elliot outlined a series of alleged irregularities that his camp will use to form the bedrock of their official petition to the APC Appeal Committee:
- Supporter Exclusion: The incumbent claimed that hundreds of his legitimate, card-carrying supporters were completely blocked from entering the accreditation zones by security personnel and party officials, leaving the venue heavily tilted toward his opponent.
- Coercion and Harassment: Elliot alleged that local government officials and party loyalists were threatened with severe political and administrative consequences if they did not align with the preferred establishment candidate.
- Violent Disruption: He noted that despite pulling his team back to avoid casualties, several of his supporters still sustained injuries requiring hospitalization.
Femi Gbajabiamila Reacts
The political atmosphere in Surulere grew even more tense as Femi Gbajabiamila strongly dismissed Elliot’s complaints, describing the primary election in Constituency I as entirely peaceful, credible, and transparent.
Speaking with reporters after casting his vote at Ward G2 in Alaka Housing Estate, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed deep disappointment in the incumbent’s recent actions. Gbajabiamila claimed that Elliot had repeatedly tried to introduce religious divisions into the secular politics of Surulere by allegedly deploying the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to lobby the party leadership, a tactic he condemned as unacceptable for someone who has benefited from the constituency’s unity for over a decade.
“The only person who can ask me to step down is the party. If the party says ‘Desmond go down,’ that is when I will step down because I’m a party person. But we are not accepting this flawed process, and we are appealing. It is not a do-or-die affair; I am here to serve, but fairness must prevail.” — Desmond Elliot
Despite the heavy breakdown in relationship with the local party machinery, Elliot maintained that he remains a deeply committed member of the APC. As the actor-turned-politician prepares to file his formal protest, Surulere’s political landscape faces its most volatile internal shakeup in recent memory.
