The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Wednesday commended the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primary election in Surulere Constituency I, Lagos State, describing the exercise as peaceful, orderly and credible.
The development came amid a dramatic twist in the contest as the constituency’s incumbent lawmaker, Desmond Elliott, announced his withdrawal from the race over alleged intimidation of his supporters.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke with journalists after casting his vote at Ward G2 (Adeniran Ogunsanya Ward 5) in Alaka Housing Estate, Surulere, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of party members and the atmosphere surrounding the exercise.
According to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the election reflected democratic ideals and showcased the maturity of party supporters in the constituency.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Gbajabiamila further noted that participation in the primary election was impressive despite being an internal party exercise.
“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 added.
The presidential aide also disclosed that reports from other wards in the constituency suggested that the process was generally peaceful across the board.
However, tensions emerged at the Paddington Mini Stadium on Western Avenue, where Elliott publicly withdrew from the contest.
The actor-turned-politician alleged that many of his supporters were denied access to the venue by electoral officials despite repeated appeals.
“And of course, in all zones, they’ve 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,” Elliott said.
He maintained that his supporters were prevented from participating in the exercise, a situation he described as unfair and unacceptable.
Shortly after his announcement, Elliott’s supporters staged a peaceful protest before leaving the venue with him.
Despite the controversy, the Chairman of the Leaders Forum in Ward G2, Ekundayo Decker, described the exercise as evidence of healthy internal democracy within the APC.
Speaking with journalists, Decker said the process was conducted without 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 stated.
He also urged aspirants and their supporters to accept the outcome of the exercise in good faith and embrace sportsmanship.
Surulere Constituency I had emerged as one of the major flashpoints in Wednesday’s APC primaries, with a female aspirant, reportedly backed by the party leadership and Gbajabiamila, Mrs Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, challenging Elliott, who was seeking a fourth consecutive term in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The contest followed weeks of reported political tension between Gbajabiamila and Elliott ahead of the primary election.
