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Lawmaker representing Surulere constituency I in the Lagos state house of assembly, Desmond Elliot, has rejected the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in his constituency, insisting that he will challenge the result through the party’s appeal mechanism.
Elliot, who lost his bid to secure the APC ticket for re-election, said the exercise that produced Barakat Odunuga-Bakare as winner was marred by irregularities, including allegations of violence and disenfranchisement of his supporters.
On Wednesday, the primary election reportedly ended with Odunuga-Bakare securing 11,385 votes across the constituency, while Elliot polled 270 votes in a contest that has continued to generate controversy within party ranks.
Reacting to the outcome, the lawmaker insisted that the process could not stand as conducted, alleging that there was evidence of violence against his supporters during the exercise.
Elliot maintained that he remains a committed party member and would not abandon the process despite the outcome.
“The only person who can ask me to step down is the party. If the party says Desmond go down, that is when I will step down because I’m a party person,” he said.
He added that the party had provided an avenue for redress, which he intends to pursue.
“But the party has also, in its magnanimity, given us an opportunity to appeal,” he said.
Elliot clarified that his withdrawal was limited to his agents from the voting process, not his candidacy.
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“We were appealing, and as I say, it is not a do-or-die affair. I’m here to serve the people,” he said.
“So, I’m not going to say any more than this, other than the fact that we are not accepting this process. I am not withdrawing.”
He further explained: “Why I said withdraw then is that I’m withdrawing my agents from participating in the voting process. But we are appealing the process. We are definitely appealing.”
The lawmaker also alleged that supporters were intimidated and restricted during the exercise, insisting that the process was not free and fair.
“Nobody was killed. But a lot of people were really maimed. There are videos of people going to the hospital,” he said.
Elliot also raised concerns over voter verification and accreditation, which he said compromised the integrity of the primary.
“The only way you can verify if a card is fake is when they go through the verification process and allow them that process,” he said.
The APC has yet to officially respond to the allegations as the party’s appeal committee is expected to review the disputed primary.
