Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot has refused to accept the outcome of the APC primary election for Surulere Constituency I, insisting that the process would be contested through the party’s official appeal structure.
The development followed the conclusion of the primary election in which Barakat Odunuga-Bakare secured the party’s ticket for the Lagos State House of Assembly race. She defeated Elliot with a wide margin after recording 11,385 votes against his 270 votes.
Reacting after the exercise, Elliot said his disagreement was not with the party itself but with how the primary was conducted. According to him, the process did not give all participants equal opportunity.
He alleged that incidents of intimidation occurred in different locations during the exercise and claimed some of his supporters suffered injuries in the process. He also maintained that reports and recordings existed showing individuals receiving treatment after the event.
The lawmaker further claimed that many of his supporters were unable to gain entry into the voting area. According to him, this affected participation and raised concerns about fairness.
Elliot questioned the speed at which voting activities were concluded and argued that limiting access and ending the process within a short period created doubts about the credibility of the exercise.
He also challenged claims that some membership cards presented by his supporters were invalid, maintaining that verification should have been allowed before any decision was made regarding eligibility.
Addressing reports that he withdrew from the race, Elliot denied stepping down. He explained that his decision during the exercise was only to ask his supporters and representatives to stop taking part because of concerns over the conduct of the election.
Despite rejecting the result, Elliot said he remains committed to the APC and intends to continue serving the people of Surulere while pursuing the matter through the party’s established channels.