‘Bad Loser’: APC Chieftain Knocks Desmond Elliot Over Surulere Primary Withdrawal

‘Bad Loser’: APC Chieftain Knocks Desmond Elliot Over Surulere Primary Withdrawal

LAGOS — An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Ayekooto Akindele, has dismissed claims by actor-turned-politician and Lagos lawmaker representing Surulere I, Desmond Elliot, that he withdrew from the party’s primary election, calling him a “bad loser” after the three-term incumbent suffered a humiliating defeat at the polls.

Politics Nigeria earlier reported that Elliot announced his withdrawal from the ongoing primary, alleging intimidation of his supporters at the Paddington Mini Stadium along Western Avenue, Surulere. The three-term lawmaker, first elected on April 11, 2015, was seeking a fourth term in office prior to his withdrawal announcement. But Akindele, in a post on X, insisted that the Nollywood star participated in the election and was decisively defeated. He described Elliot’s claim as “ridiculous,” alleging that the lawmaker only addressed a press conference after realizing he had lost.

“After the counting and declaration of votes, and after suffering an excruciating defeat right in his very presence, Nollywood actor Desmond Elliot quickly organised a press conference, claiming that he had withdrawn from the race and alleging that his ‘supporters’ were not allowed to vote,” he wrote. He further added that the action was typical of “a bad loser and a desperate, overtly ambitious politician who never planned that he would retire one day.”

According to results announced after voting across the constituency wards, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, the immediate past Lagos Special Adviser on Housing and reportedly backed by President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, emerged victorious in the contest. Official results showed that Odunuga-Bakare polled 11,385 votes to defeat Elliot, who secured only 270 votes. The wide margin of defeat lends weight to Akindele’s assertion that Elliot’s withdrawal announcement was an attempt to salvage dignity after a humiliating loss. The primary election took place amid reports that party stakeholders had pressured Elliot to withdraw from the race in favor of Odunuga-Bakare. However, the lawmaker refused to step down initially and continued with his re-election bid.

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Elliot announced his withdrawal on Wednesday at the Paddington mini stadium along Western Avenue, where the APC primary was being conducted. He claimed several of his supporters were prevented from gaining access to the venue despite repeated appeals to electoral officials. “In all zones, they’ve been intimidating and stopping us. I want to officially announce my withdrawal from this particular race. This is my ward. If you go outside, those are my people outside. They’ve not been allowed,” Elliot said. He maintained that those denied access were legitimate members of his political base in the constituency. According to him, attempts to secure entry for his supporters were ignored, while intimidation was allegedly recorded across different zones of the venue. “There were clear cases of intimidation across different polling units, and my supporters were denied access to accreditation let alone voting. This is not democracy,” Elliot alleged. Elliot explained that his decision to leave the venue was to prevent any breakdown of law and order, stressing that no political ambition was worth the loss of lives. After his announcement, his supporters staged a peaceful protest before leaving the venue alongside him.

In a fresh twist that has drawn further criticism from political observers, Elliot later denied reports that he had withdrawn from the race. In a statement issued on Wednesday, he described the reports as “misleading” and clarified that he did not step down from the contest. According to the statement, the lawmaker’s remarks during the primary election were made in response to the alleged exclusion and intimidation of his supporters, many of whom were reportedly denied access to designated voting venues, particularly in Wards F2 and F3. The statement explained that Elliot’s decision to ask his agents and supporters to leave the voting environment was aimed at preventing violence and maintaining peace, rather than signaling a withdrawal from the contest. “The decision was one of statesmanship and restraint, not a concession, withdrawal, or surrender of his candidacy,” the statement said. Elliot maintained that he remains committed to the race and to democratic principles, adding that he still enjoys the support of party members across the constituency. The statement also urged party stakeholders and the public to disregard what it described as false narratives surrounding the incident.

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Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, who also voted in the primary at his Ward G2 (Adeniran Ogunsanya Ward 5) in Surulere, described the exercise as peaceful, fair, and orderly. Speaking to newsmen after participating in the primary election, Gbajabiamila expressed happiness with the conduct of the primaries and commended party members for their conduct during the exercise. “You know, this is my ward, Ward G2, and I have been voting here in Ward G2 for as long as I have been in politics. And anytime I come to vote, whatever office or election it is, my reaction is always the same. When I see peaceful, fair, credible, orderly elections, I am always very happy. And that is exactly what I have seen today,” he said. Gbajabiamila also noted that the turnout for the primary election was impressive, adding that reports reaching him from other wards indicated that the exercise was peaceful across the constituency. “From what I am hearing, the feedback I am getting, it is the same across the board,” he said. His positive assessment of the exercise stands in stark contrast to Elliot’s allegations of intimidation and exclusion.

The controversy at the primary did not emerge suddenly. In the days leading up to the May 20 primary, Elliot had been raising the alarm about what he described as targeted political victimization. In a viral video circulated on Sunday, Elliot accused unnamed party leaders and local government officials of allegedly pressuring party members to support a preferred aspirant ahead of the House of Assembly primaries. “Intimidation, coercion, twisting and forcing people to follow their own candidate is what exists today in Surulere,” Elliot said in the video. “Telling them that they will not be beneficiaries of some empowerment that is coming some other time. Please, this is not done and should not be done.” The lawmaker also alleged that some local government officials lost their positions because they supported him, while the local government leadership had openly backed another aspirant months before the primary election. In an even more striking claim, Elliot asserted that his security aides were withdrawn without explanation shortly before the primaries. “My security personnel were taken away from me yesterday for reasons best known to them. Now I am left alone to myself. What have I done?” he queried. Despite these concerns, Elliot had maintained that he would accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free and fair.

The controversy also comes days after Elliot publicly apologised to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, over his alleged involvement in the removal of the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa from office in January 2025. This political context suggests that the Surulere I primary was not merely a local contest but part of broader realignments within the Lagos APC, with Gbajabiamila’s political structure backing Odunuga-Bakare against the incumbent Elliot.

Adding to the chorus of voices against Elliot, a political pressure group within the constituency, the Surulere Accountability Front (SAF), accused Elliot of staging a theatrical exit to mask his lack of actual grassroots popularity. The group’s chairman, Olanrewaju Badmus, alleged that Elliot, anticipating an embarrassing defeat at the polls, had plotted to import non-residents into the six electoral wards to cause chaos and force an “inconclusive” outcome. “We will not negotiate our representation with someone who has shown desperation, greed, and a total lack of respect for the organized Tinubu political structure in Lagos,” Badmus asserted. “The primary was peaceful, and the best candidate won. Elliot simply saw the handwriting on the wall.”

Despite his denial of withdrawal, the primary election proceeded, and Odunuga-Bakare has since been declared the winner with 11,385 votes against Elliot’s 270. For all intents and purposes, the actor-turned-politician who has represented Surulere I since 2015 has lost his bid for a fourth term. Elliot has indicated that he would appeal the outcome of the election, though it remains unclear whether such an appeal would be successful given the wide margin of defeat and the apparent backing of the party leadership for his opponent. For the Lagos APC, the day’s events once again demonstrated that the party’s internal selectorate remains absolute. For Elliot, who traded the glamour of Nollywood for the gritty trenches of Lagos politics, the credits may have rolled unexpectedly on his legislative career — leaving behind a divided constituency and a sobering reminder of how unforgiving the Lagos political landscape can be.

‘Bad Loser’: APC Chieftain Knocks Desmond Elliot Over Surulere Primary Withdrawal