A major political battle is unfolding within the All Progressives Congress in Surulere as the fourth term ambition of actor turned politician, Desmond Elliot, continues to generate tension ahead of the Lagos State House of Assembly primaries.
At the centre of the growing disagreement is the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, who is reportedly backing former Lagos Special Adviser on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, to replace Elliot as the representative for Surulere Constituency 1.
Sources familiar with the situation told Zoyols News that Gbajabiamila’s decision was partly influenced by efforts to promote women inclusion in politics. However, the move reportedly did not sit well with Elliot, who remains determined to secure another term in office through the party’s primaries.
The lawmaker’s re election bid is also said to have suffered a setback after attempts by influential individuals to seek presidential support for his fourth term ambition reportedly failed. According to insiders, several prominent figures approached President Tinubu at different times in a bid to convince him to intervene in favour of Elliot, but the President allegedly declined.
Those said to have made appeals reportedly included a retired military general, a serving minister, a senator and another ally of the President. However, Tinubu was said to have maintained that the decision of Surulere APC stakeholders should be respected.
Sources further claimed that the President insisted he would not go against Gbajabiamila, whom he reportedly described as a major political leader in Surulere with longstanding contributions to the development of the area.
It was also gathered that Tinubu emphasised the importance of allowing the direct primary process to determine who truly commands grassroots support within the Surulere APC structure.
During one of the reported meetings, the President was quoted as questioning why individuals who had supported Elliot politically for over a decade were now unwilling to stand firmly behind him.
In what appeared to be an attempt at reconciliation, Elliot publicly appealed to Gbajabiamila for forgiveness after obtaining his nomination form ahead of the 2027 election. The actor stated that leaders should be compassionate and admitted that as a human being, he could have made mistakes.
He pleaded for another opportunity to continue serving the people of Surulere, while also stressing that experience in the legislature remains important for effective representation and attracting more development to constituents.
The situation became even more dramatic after Gbajabiamila reportedly disclosed during a stakeholders’ meeting that he nearly lost his position as Chief of Staff because of the political crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly during the speakership dispute involving Mudashiru Obasa.
According to him, President Tinubu summoned him to Abuja during the crisis and questioned him over allegations linking Desmond Elliot to activities believed to have contributed to instability within the Assembly.
Gbajabiamila explained that he defended Elliot before the President, insisting that the Surulere lawmaker was not involved in efforts to undermine the Assembly leadership. He added that he later advised Elliot to publicly distance himself from the controversy, but claimed that such clarification never came.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives further revealed that his close relationship with President Tinubu eventually helped him retain his current position.
On his part, Elliot accused some APC leaders in Surulere of intimidation, coercion and political victimisation ahead of the primaries. He alleged that party members were being pressured to support another candidate through threats and promises tied to empowerment programmes.
The lawmaker also claimed that some local government officials lost their positions because of their support for him. According to him, the local government leadership had openly backed another aspirant long before the primaries, creating what he described as an unfair political atmosphere.
Elliot further disclosed that his security aide had allegedly been withdrawn, leaving him feeling isolated politically.
Despite his grievances, the lawmaker insisted he would accept the outcome of the primaries if the process turns out to be free and fair.
The crisis within Elliot’s camp deepened after the Director General of his fourth term campaign organisation, Bless Koye, publicly declared support for Barakat Odunuga-Bakare. In a viral video, Koye announced that he had instructed members of his political structure to join Odunuga-Bakare’s camp.
Adding to Elliot’s challenges, five other aspirants reportedly stepped down from the race and endorsed Odunuga-Bakare ahead of the APC primaries. The aspirants said their decision was based on confidence in her ability to provide quality representation for Surulere residents.
Meanwhile, former lawmaker Kabiru Lawal openly backed Elliot, describing him as a sincere and transparent leader. Lawal argued that despite criticisms, Elliot had performed better than many expected when he first entered politics from the entertainment industry.
He also suggested that retaining Elliot in the Assembly could increase Surulere’s chances of producing a Speaker in the future or securing stronger political influence within the House.
Lawal appealed to party leaders to allow Elliot complete one more term, arguing that the constituency stands to benefit more from an experienced lawmaker than from a newcomer.
