Tension has arisen between Nollywood actor and Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot and President Femi Gbajabiamila over Elliot’s desire to represent Surulere 1 Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly for a fourth term.
According to reports, Gbajabiamila supported Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, the most recent Lagos Special Adviser on Housing, to succeed Elliot in the Assembly.
According to reports, the action was a component of initiatives to support women’s and gender inclusion in politics.
Elliot, who is determined to gauge his popularity during Tuesday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries, reportedly felt uneasy about the move.
According to sources who talked with Vanguard, President Bola Tinubu allegedly rejected pleas from powerful individuals dispatched to push him on Elliot’s behalf, which hurt the lawmaker’s chances of winning a fourth term.
Tinubu Turns Down Advocates
A retired general, his spouse, a senator, a minister in office, and the president’s ally were reportedly among those who allegedly addressed the president.
They allegedly pushed Tinubu to disregard Surulere APC stakeholders’ support for Odunuga-Bakare.
However, according to insiders, the President insisted on honoring party stakeholders’ views and internal democracy.
According to Tinubu, “the direct primary election will indicate who commands popular control of Surulere APC politics, not external influence.”
“If the people who carried Desmond for 12 years can no longer defend him, that says everything about the boy’s character and performance,” he was further quoted as saying.
