Lagos Lawmaker Desmond Elliot’s Backers Fight Back, Accuse Tinubu’s Aide Gbajabiamila Of Imposing Woman Aspirant
Stakeholders in the Surulere chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have accused the camp of Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, of attempting to impose a preferred female aspirant for the Lagos state house of assembly seat.
Earlier this month, prominent political stakeholders in the Surulere 1 constituency threw their weight behind Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, former aide to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, as a chosen replacement for the Nollywood Actor Elliot.
Party stakeholders, who did not want to be named, alleged that the selection process has been skewed in favour of the unnamed female aspirant even before the primaries.
They further alleged that Gbajabiamila’s camp was sidelining Desmond Elliott, the incumbent lawmaker representing the area, with intimidation and threats employed against dissenting voices.
“Nobody should play God in Surulere politics. The arrogance of power must stop. Party members should be allowed to choose their candidate freely,” one of the party stakeholders told TheCable.
The sources claimed that appointees and loyalists were being intimidated with threats of losing their positions if they failed to support the new aspirant.
They also questioned the open partisanship displayed by some leaders, who, they alleged had directed ward chairmen and party executives to mobilise support for the aspirant.
There are also claims that loyalists of rival aspirants had been removed from party structures and excluded from council empowerment programmes.
