The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Wednesday described the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primary election in Surulere Constituency I as peaceful, fair, and orderly.
Mr Gbajabiamila spoke with journalists after participating in the primary election at Ward G2 (Adeniran Ogunsanya Ward 5), situated at Alaka Housing Estate, Surulere, Lagos.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said he was impressed by the conduct of party members and the peaceful atmosphere that characterised the exercise.
“You know, this is my ward, Ward G2, and I have been voting here in Ward G2 for as long as I have been in politics.
“And anytime I come to vote, whatever office or election it is, my reaction is always the same. When I see peaceful, fair, credible, orderly elections, I am always very happy.
“And that is exactly what I have seen today,” he said.
Mr Gbajabiamila, who was elected to represent Surulere I Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives for six consecutive terms, from 2003 to 2023, one of which terms he served as the speaker, noted that the turnout for the exercise was impressive despite the fact that it was a party primary election.
“The turnout, considering that we are talking about primaries here, has been very impressive. People have been peaceful and orderly.
“The election has been free and transparent, and I am happy to see that. So, I congratulate the people of Ward G2,” he said.
The presidential aide added that reports reaching him from other wards indicated that the exercise was peaceful across the constituency.
“From what I am hearing, the feedback I am getting, it is the same across the board,” he said.
Desmond Elliot withdraws from race, alleges intimidation
Mr Gbajabiamila’s remarks came amid the withdrawal of his political protégé, Desmond Elliot, from the state assembly primary for the Surulere I state constituency on Wednesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Elliot, an actor-turned-politician, said he withdrew from the race because his supporters were intimidated and denied access to the election venue.
Some political developments in Lagos State in the past year seemed to have driven a wedge between Mr Gbajabiamila and Mr Elliot, with Mr Gbajabiamila recently saying publicly that his support for the former actor almost cost him his job as President Tinubu’s chief of staff.
Mr Gbajabiamila said his job came under threat due to Mr Elliot’s involvement in the January 2025 plot to remove Lagos State speaker, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, an ally of President Tinubu.
But Mr Elliot, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Mr Elliott explained why he signed the impeachment document that removed Mr Obasa from office, saying many lawmakers initially believed the move had the backing of President Bola Tinubu.
In the lead-up to Wednesday’s primary, party stalwarts in Mr Elliot’s constituency picked Mr Elliot’s sole challenger, Barakat Bakare-Odunuga, over him, declaring her as the party’s consensus candidate for the constituency in the next year’s general election. Mrs Bakare-Odunuga is a former Special Adviser on Housing to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
With Mr Elliot’s withdrawal, Mrs Bakare-Odunuga, emerges as the sole aspirant in the primary election.
Others speak on exercise
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the venue, Ekundayo Decker, the chairperson of the Leaders Forum in Ward G2, described the exercise as a reflection of good internal democracy within the APC.
Mr Decker said the process was conducted peacefully without any form of violence or disruption.
“Well, this is a pure democratic process. We have seen that the numbers are more and the voting went fine.
“There was no fight, there was nothing, no problem, nothing,” he said.
On his advice to aspirants participating in the primary election, Decker urged contestants and their supporters to embrace sportsmanship and accept the outcome of the process in good faith.
“It is a game of sports. Any side that wins, good. The other side should please embrace the winner,” he said.
The race for APC’s Surulere Constituency I ticket is among Wednesday’s most closely watched primaries.