The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primary election in Surulere Constituency I, Lagos State, as peaceful, transparent and orderly.
Gbajabiamila made the remarks on Wednesday after casting his vote at Ward G2 (Adeniran Ogunsanya Ward 5) located within Alaka Housing Estate, Surulere.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed satisfaction with the conduct of party members and the atmosphere surrounding the exercise.
According to him, the primary election reflected credibility and fairness, adding that he was impressed by the turnout despite the exercise being an internal party contest.
“This is my ward, Ward G2, and I have always voted here throughout my political career. Whenever I witness peaceful, fair and orderly elections, I feel happy, and that is exactly what I have seen today,” Gbajabiamila said.
He further noted that reports from other wards within the constituency also indicated that the exercise was largely peaceful.
“The turnout has been impressive for a primary election. People have conducted themselves peacefully, and the process has been transparent across the board,” he added.
However, the exercise took a dramatic turn after incumbent lawmaker and actor-turned-politician, Desmond Elliott, announced his withdrawal from the race.
Elliott, who addressed supporters at the Paddington Mini Stadium on Western Avenue where the primary was being held, alleged that his supporters were intimidated and denied access to the venue.
“I made several appeals to electoral officers to allow my supporters into the venue, but they were ignored. In all zones, they have been intimidating and stopping us. I am officially withdrawing from this race,” he declared.
The lawmaker, who is seeking a fourth term in the Lagos State House of Assembly, insisted that many of his supporters remained stranded outside the venue despite repeated interventions.
Shortly after his announcement, Elliott’s supporters staged a peaceful protest before leaving the venue alongside him.
Despite the controversy, Chairman of the Leaders Forum in Ward G2, Ekundayo Decker, described the exercise as a true reflection of internal democracy within the APC.
Speaking with journalists, Decker said the voting process was conducted without violence or disruption.
“This is a pure democratic process. The voting went smoothly, there was no fight or problem,” he said.
He also urged aspirants and their supporters to accept the outcome of the election in good faith and embrace sportsmanship.
Surulere Constituency I emerged as one of the major flashpoints in Wednesday’s APC primaries, with female aspirant Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, reportedly backed by the party leadership and Gbajabiamila, contesting against Elliott.
The development comes amid weeks of reported political tension between Gbajabiamila and the three-term lawmaker.
