Desmond Elliott, member representing Surulere constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, has alleged intimidation and the withdrawal of his personal security ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in the constituency.
In a viral video seen by ALO 360, Elliott accused some party stakeholders of attempting to coerce members into supporting a preferred aspirant.
Earlier, Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to Bola Tinubu, said he nearly lost his position over Elliott’s alleged role in the impeachment crisis involving Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly.
Reports also indicate that Elliott has fallen out with Gbajabiamila, who is reportedly backing Barakat Bakare for the assembly seat.
Bakare had claimed that other aspirants stepped down for her, except Elliott, who insisted on participating in the primary.
Reacting in the video, Elliott said the direct primary system should be allowed to reflect the true popularity of aspirants.
“We want to appreciate President Bola Tinubu and the party leadership for allowing direct primaries to hold across the country,” he said.
“This is meant to test the popularity of all aspirants across board.”
The lawmaker, however, alleged that intimidation and arm-twisting had characterised the process in Surulere.
“Intimidation, coercion, arm twisting, and forcing people to follow their own candidate is what is existing today in Surulere,” he said.
Elliott further alleged that local government officials who refused to align with a particular aspirant had been dismissed.
“A lot of people from the local government have been fired because they should not be allowed,” he claimed.
According to him, the local government leadership openly supported another aspirant months before the primary.
“The local government already took a side to support a particular aspirant,” he said.
Elliott also disclosed that his security personnel were withdrawn a day before the primary election.
“My security personnel was taken away from me yesterday for reasons best known to them,” he said.
“Now I am left alone to myself. What have I done?”
The actor-turned-lawmaker alleged plans to import thugs to disrupt the exercise and appealed to party leaders to intervene.
“They want to bring people from outside and from within to cause mayhem and trouble,” he said.
“I want to ask our party chieftains, please investigate this matter.”
Elliott urged his supporters not to be intimidated and appealed for a peaceful and transparent primary election.
“Please allow for a free and fair election,” he said.
