Fresh cracks have emerged within the political camp of Lagos State lawmaker and Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot, following the defection of the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Bless Koye, to a rival camp ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries.
Koye announced his withdrawal of support for Elliot in a viral video circulating online, declaring allegiance to APC aspirant, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare.
In the video, Koye openly stated that he was leaving the “Desmond group” to join the “Barakat group”.
“I’ll decamp from Desmond group to Barakat group,” he declared.
The development is seen as a significant political setback for Elliot, who currently represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly and is reportedly seeking a third term in office.
The defection comes amid growing political tensions surrounding the lawmaker, particularly after his recent public apology to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over alleged disagreements linked to the Lagos Assembly crisis.
Speaking during an appearance on TVC’s Your View programme on Friday, Elliot said any friction between him and Gbajabiamila may have stemmed from political misunderstandings, insisting that he never intended to disrespect the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to Elliot, Gbajabiamila played a pivotal role in his political journey, describing him as his “egbon” and political mentor.
“I’m not saying, oh, yes, media will come out, oh yes, Desmond begs again. Yes, because he’s my egbon. And I grew up learning everything I knew in politics through him,” Elliot stated during the interview.
He further noted that political relationships could sometimes experience misunderstandings and disagreements.
The controversy surrounding Elliot intensified after Gbajabiamila publicly disclosed how the lawmaker was allegedly linked to the political turmoil within the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Recalling a conversation with President Bola Tinubu, Gbajabiamila said the president warned him about intelligence reports implicating Elliot in the crisis rocking the Assembly.
“He is part of the people causing problems in the Lagos Assembly. I am telling you from intelligence that he was part of them. Go and tell him to retrace his steps,” Gbajabiamila quoted Tinubu as saying.
However, Gbajabiamila explained that he defended Elliot before the president despite not having directly discussed the allegations with him at the time.
“I just said he wasn’t,” he stated.
The presidential aide added that he later contacted Elliot and advised him to distance himself from individuals allegedly fuelling the crisis.
According to Gbajabiamila, Elliot subsequently began “cutting corners”, a move that further complicated the situation.
The latest defection within Elliot’s political structure is expected to heighten speculation over his standing within the APC in Surulere as political alignments ahead of the next electoral cycle continue to shift.
