Supporters of Surulere lawmaker and actor-turned-politician, Desmond Elliot, have raised concerns over alleged intimidation, harassment and suppression of voters during the ongoing primary election of the All Progressives Congress for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat in Surulere Constituency.
The allegations emerged amid growing tension surrounding the APC primaries in the constituency, where political camps loyal to different aspirants are battling for control ahead of the next election cycle.
A source within Elliott’s political camp told journalists on Tuesday that supporters of the lawmaker were allegedly being prevented from participating in the exercise, particularly in Ward G2 and several other voting centres across Surulere.
According to the source, the development has generated anxiety among party members and observers who had expected the primary process to be transparent, peaceful and credible.
“Reports reaching us from Ward G2 during the ongoing primaries suggest that supporters of Hon. Desmond Olushola Elliott are allegedly being prevented from voting,” the source stated.
The source added that the alleged actions had raised concerns among party faithful regarding the fairness of the process.
“This development is raising serious concerns among party faithful and observers who expected a free, fair and transparent process for everyone involved,” the source said.
Ward G2 is widely regarded as Elliott’s political stronghold within the constituency, making the allegations particularly sensitive among his supporters.
“Ward G2 is known as the ward of Rt. Hon. Desmond Elliott, and many are now asking important questions,” the source added.
The source questioned who authorised the alleged restrictions and whether such conduct reflected democratic principles expected within the ruling party.
“Who gave the instruction that some members should be stopped from exercising their rights? Is this the kind of democratic process party members deserve at such a crucial moment?” the source queried.
According to Elliott’s camp, the alleged intimidation could undermine the credibility of the APC primaries if not urgently addressed by party leaders.
“An election should unite people, not create division and suspicion,” the source stated.
The source further noted that if the allegations were false, those accused should publicly clarify the situation to reassure party members and prevent further tension.
“But if true, then it becomes a disturbing situation capable of damaging the credibility of the entire process. The voices of party members must not be silenced in Surulere,” the source said.
Additional allegations also surfaced claiming that supporters of Elliott were facing coordinated harassment at multiple polling centres throughout the constituency.
“Voters and party supporters loyal to Desmond Elliot have been intimidated and harassed in all voting centres in the constituency,” the source alleged.
The source claimed that Elliott’s supporters had anticipated possible irregularities before the commencement of the exercise.
“We knew this was going to happen. We already knew that it wasn’t going to be a free and fair primary. So much intimidation and harassment are going on to stop supporters of Desmond Elliot from voting,” the source alleged.
The controversy surrounding the primaries intensified after reports emerged that journalists covering the exercise at Akinhanmi Cole, Ward E/E1, Obele Oniwala Mini-Stadium in Surulere were allegedly forced out of the venue by party officials and security personnel.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred while verification of party members was ongoing at the venue.
Tension reportedly escalated after one of the aspirants, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, arrived at the location accompanied by security aides and supporters.
While journalists attempted to document her arrival and activities at the venue, police officers reportedly warned that only accredited journalists with approved identification tags would be allowed access.
However, journalists claimed that despite presenting identification materials, they were still confronted by some APC officials and supporters who questioned the validity of their tags.
Reports indicated that although the journalists’ identification cards carried the names of their respective media organisations and tag numbers, some APC officials insisted that the tags were unacceptable because they did not contain passport photographs.
Witnesses alleged that the atmosphere quickly became hostile as party officials and security personnel reportedly pushed journalists out of the venue without giving them adequate opportunity to provide alternative identification.
Some journalists further alleged that attempts to present additional means of identification were ignored as tensions escalated.
According to reports, the situation nearly turned violent after some supporters at the venue allegedly attempted to seize journalists’ phones and physically assault them, forcing members of the press to flee the area for safety.
The latest allegations come amid an already strained political atmosphere in Surulere following previous complaints by Elliott against some APC leaders in the constituency.
The lawmaker had earlier accused certain party figures of intimidation, political victimisation and attempts to manipulate the party’s primary process in favour of a preferred aspirant.
Elliott alleged that party members and supporters were being pressured and threatened to abandon him politically ahead of the primaries.
“Intimidation, coercion, twisting and forcing people to follow their own candidate is what exists today in Surulere,” he had said.
According to the lawmaker, some party members were allegedly being threatened with exclusion from empowerment programmes and political opportunities if they failed to support rival interests within the constituency.
“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,” he stated.
Elliott also alleged that some local government officials who openly supported him had allegedly been removed from their positions.
The lawmaker described the political environment within the Surulere APC as troubling and unfair.
In another allegation, Elliott claimed that his official security personnel were withdrawn under unclear circumstances 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.
The Surulere lawmaker further expressed fears about possible violence during the primaries, alleging that some individuals were planning to mobilise people to disrupt the process.
“They are coming out to fight us. They want to bring people from outside and from within to cause mayhem and trouble,” he alleged.
The political crisis surrounding Elliott has also been linked to the earlier controversy involving the impeachment attempt against Mudashiru Obasa.
Recently, the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, publicly disclosed that he almost lost his position within the Presidency because of allegations connecting Elliott to the anti-Obasa political moves in the Lagos Assembly.
Gbajabiamila claimed that President Tinubu personally summoned him over intelligence reports allegedly linking Elliott to efforts aimed at removing Obasa as Speaker.
“Till tomorrow, if it was not for the kind of relationship I have with Mr. President, I probably would not be here today,” Gbajabiamila reportedly stated.
The presidential aide also accused Elliott of allegedly contributing to religious tension within Surulere, describing the development as unprecedented throughout his political career spanning more than two decades.
Despite the mounting allegations and political tensions, APC leaders in Lagos State had yet to issue an official statement addressing the claims of intimidation, voter suppression and harassment linked to the Surulere primaries as of the time of filing this report.
Political observers say the outcome of the primaries could significantly influence political alignments within the Surulere APC ahead of future elections, especially given the growing divisions among influential stakeholders in the constituency.
