LAGOS State House of Assembly member representing Surulere I, Desmond Elliot, said he had pulled out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for the constituency seat in the state Assembly.
He announced this on Wednesday during the party’s primary held at the Paddington Mini Stadium along Western Avenue in Lagos.
A video from the scene, now viral, showed Elliot explaining his decision while pointing to issues around access for his supporters.
“My name is Demond Elliot. In all zones, they have been intimidating and stopping us. I want to officially announce my withdrawal from this particular race. This is my ward, if you go outside, those are my people outside, and they have not been allowed. So, I am officially announcing my withdrawal from this race. Good luck, thank you,” he stated.
The lawmaker, who has represented Surulere I constituency since 2015, was seeking another term under the APC platform before pulling out of the exercise.
He said he had repeatedly tried to get the attention of electoral officials to allow his supporters into the voting area, but his efforts did not yield results.
After his exit, some of his supporters reportedly held a peaceful protest and later left the venue with him.
THE ICIR reported that the Nollywood actor-turned politician apologised to Femi Gbajabiamila, his political mentor and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu over tensions that arose during recent political developments in Lagos State.
Gbajabiamila had claimed that the roles played by Elliot during the attempted impeachment of the state House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, in January 2025 could have cost him his job. He said Tinubu was very angry with the uproar caused by the attempted impeachment.
The former speaker of the House of Representatives said he directed Elliot to make a public statement on what led to his role in the saga after Obasa regained his state. According to him, the lawmaker failed to comply.
Meanwhile, Elliot had expressed regret over his action and apologised at different fora, incluinding when he featured recently on TVC’s Your View, noting that any offence caused was unintentional and reaffirming his loyalty to his party and constituency. He said he was not in Nigeria when the impeachment process started and thought it was backed by the president.
He also had apologised to a woman he referred to as the “matriarch of Surulere” for any wrong he might have caused.