The bid by Lagos State House of Assembly member, Desmond Elliot, to secure a fourth term has reportedly been blocked by President Bola Tinubu.
According to multiple sources within the Presidency, Tinubu declined several appeals from influential figures who sought to overturn the decision of Surulere All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders.
The stakeholders have instead backed the immediate past Lagos State Special Adviser on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, as Elliot’s replacement.
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Elliot, a Nollywood actor-turned-politician, was said to have enlisted prominent individuals, including a retired general, his wife, a senator, a serving minister, and a close ally of the President, to lobby on his behalf at the Presidential Villa. However, their efforts reportedly failed to secure Tinubu’s support for his fourth-term ambition.
Sources alleged that the President maintained his stance in deference to the majority position of Surulere APC stakeholders, adding that he would not go against his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who is also regarded as a key political figure in Surulere.
Tinubu was also quoted as saying that the outcome of a direct primary election would ultimately determine who holds real influence within Surulere APC politics, rather than external interference.
“If the people who supported Desmond for twelve years can no longer defend him, that says a lot about his character and performance,” he reportedly said during one of the meetings.
Reacting, the Chairman of the Surulere Accountability Front (SAF), Olanrewaju Badmus, said the push against Elliot’s fourth-term bid reflects the sentiment of many in the constituency.
Badmus further described Elliot’s time in office as marked by “poor representation, political instability, and character concerns.”
He added, “Most of the Surulere youths are tired of him and don’t see him as a role model. Power is transient and only God gives power to whom He desires. The call for change in Surulere 1’s representation at Lagos House of Assembly is not accidental. It is the verdict of a constituency that has been patient long enough.”
