Surulere Primaries: Group Accuses Desmond Elliot of Plotting Violence, His Camp Dismisses Claim as “Laughable”

A political group called the Surulere Accountability Front (SAF) has accused Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot of planning to disrupt the upcoming APC assembly primaries in Surulere Constituency I.

SAF chairman Olanrewaju Badmus alleged that Elliot brought in non-residents lodged in hotels, church halls, and mosques to cause chaos, including firing gunshots to scare voters, in an attempt to force an inconclusive result and negotiate a backdoor return. He warned that residents would not tolerate such desperation.

In response, a source from Elliot’s camp called the allegations “a figment of their imagination,” claiming Elliot’s opponents are nervous about his popularity and insisting they support a free and fair contest.

Separately, Elliot explained why he signed the impeachment notice against former Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa in January 2025.

He said he was in South Africa at the time and signed after assuming the move had President Tinubu’s approval only to later learn it did not. He expressed shock that presidential aide Femi Gbajabiamila suggested the impeachment nearly cost him his job.