Popular Nollywood actor-turned-politician, Desmond Elliot, has refused to accept the outcome of the APC primary election in Surulere Constituency I after losing his re-election bid in Lagos.
The lawmaker, who currently represents the constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, said he would officially challenge the result through the party’s appeal process.
Elliot lost the APC ticket on Wednesday to Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who won the primary election by a massive margin.
According to the result announced after the exercise, Odunuga-Bakare secured 11,385 votes, while Elliot got 270 votes.
The victory has already sparked political conversations across Lagos, especially due to reports linking Odunuga-Bakare to powerful APC figures within the state.
Reacting after the election, Elliot said he was unhappy with how the process was handled and insisted that the primary was filled with intimidation and irregularities.
Speaking to journalists, the actor-politician claimed many of his supporters were prevented from entering the voting venue.
He alleged that several of his loyalists were attacked during the exercise, adding that some people were injured badly enough to require hospital treatment.
“Nobody died, but many people were injured,” Elliot said while expressing frustration over the situation.
He questioned why the voting exercise was allegedly stopped within a short period, insisting that many accredited supporters were not allowed to participate.
According to him, allegations that some membership cards belonging to his supporters were fake should have been properly verified before disqualifying them from the process.
Despite the controversy, Elliot maintained that he remains loyal to the APC and would follow the party’s internal process to seek justice.
He also denied rumours suggesting he voluntarily withdrew from the race.
“The only person that can ask me to step down is the party,” he stated.
The Surulere primary has become one of the most talked-about APC contests in Lagos, with political observers closely watching how the party handles the appeal.
Desmond Elliot, who first gained fame in Nollywood before entering politics, has represented Surulere Constituency I since 2015.
Source: Comments made by Desmond Elliot after the APC Surulere primary election.
