- Safiu Kehinde
The embattled lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I, Desmond Elliot, was on Wednesday jeered out of his voting centre after his opponent, Barakat Bakare-Odunuga, was declared winner at his Ward in the ongoing Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly Primary Elections.
Elliot, who seeks fourth term in the Lagos Assembly, was reportedly defeated at his ward minutes after announcing his withdrawal from the race over alleged intimidation and prevention of his supporters from voting.
NPO Reported that the lawmaker had in a video shared on X on Wednesday declared his withdrawal, citing the alleged intimidation of his supporters as reason behind the decision.
Moments after the declaration, the Nollywood actor turned politician was booed out of the voting centre following the announcement of the result.
As captured in a separate video posted on X, some APC members at the ward could be heard hurling abuses at Elliot with the chant of Ole- thief, renting the air as the lawmaker, who raised his fist amid the jeers, exited the center.
Recall that Elliot had insisted on direct primaries after refusing to withdraw from the race for Bakare-Odunuga to emerge as the party’s consensus candidate.
Despite already falling out favour with some stakeholders of the constituency, especially the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmaker appeared at his voting centre in Ward F3.
Prior to the election, Elliot had however expressed readiness to accept the outcome of the poll and support whoever emerge as winner.