After series of protest and plea to maintain his position as the member representing Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly for the fourth time, the former actor Desmond Elliot, eventually lost his bid to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
Although Elliot had in a viral video claimed to have withdrawn from the race due to alleged intimidation, the results from party’s primary election held on Wednesday, showed Elliot suffered a heavy defeat to Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who is believed to be enjoying the backing of Femi Gbajabiamila.
Results from the exercise showed that Odunuga-Bakare polled 11,385 votes, while Elliot managed only 270 votes across the constituency.
Figures announced from different wards and circulated in a widely shared video showed that at Owolewa Open Field, off Randle Avenue, Odunuga-Bakare secured 1,956 votes against Elliot’s 10 votes.
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In the Iponri/Eric Moore ward, she scored 1,805 votes, leaving Elliot with just six votes. She also dominated the Akinhanmi/Cole ward with 2,191 votes, while Elliot polled 82 votes.
At the Gbaja Stadium ward, Odunuga-Bakare received 523 votes as Elliot failed to record any vote. In Yaba/Ojuelegba ward, she also defeated the former Nollywood actor convincingly, polling 980 votes against his three votes.
Elliot’s only noticeable showing came in the Shitta/Ogunlana ward, where he secured 270 votes, ahead of Odunuga-Bakare’s 169 votes.
The lawmaker had been seeking a fourth term in the Lagos assembly after serving three consecutive terms.
Elliot Loss Connected To Strained Relationship With Gbajabiamila
His loss is believed to be connected to his strained relationship with Gbajabiamila over the controversial impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa in 2025.
Speaking during a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Surulere, Gbajabiamila said Elliot’s involvement in the impeachment saga almost cost him his position as Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said he had instructed Elliot to publicly distance himself from the impeachment move, but claimed the lawmaker ignored the directive.
Reacting to the controversy earlier, Elliot explained that he believed the move against Obasa had the approval of President Tinubu.
He also expressed surprise at Gbajabiamila’s criticism, describing him as “my daddy” during an interview on TVC.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.