Lagos State lawmaker Desmond Elliot has raised the alarm over alleged political victimisation, intimidation, and the abrupt withdrawal of his security detail by some All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Surulere ahead of the party’s upcoming primaries
Desmond Elliot, the lawmaker representing Surulere 1 constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, has alleged a coordinated campaign of intimidation, coercion, and political victimisation orchestrated by certain leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere. In a video broadcasted across his social media platforms, the actor-turned-politician raised concerns over the hostile political environment brewing in his constituency as the ruling party prepares for its House of Assembly primaries scheduled for May 20. According to Elliot, party faithful and local government officials who have openly declared support for his re-election bid are facing intense pressure and retaliatory threats from powerful local actors.
The lawmaker further disclosed that his opponents have resorted to heavy-handed tactics, including threatening to strip his supporters of their current administrative positions and barring them from accessing crucial future benefits if they do not shift allegiance to a handpicked, preferred aspirant. Condemning the development, Elliot stated, “Intimidation, coercion, twisting and forcing people to follow their own candidate is what is existing today in Surulere. Telling them that they will not be beneficiaries of some empowerment that is coming some other time. Please, this is not done and should not be done.” He strongly criticized the local government leadership for compromising their neutrality by openly taking sides months before the party’s internal election, describing the systematic bias as unfair and deeply troubling to the democratic process.
Elliot suggested that the hostile pushback from these political figures is a direct reaction to the robust grassroots momentum his campaign has built, which he believes has deeply unsettled his rivals. Compounding his safety concerns, the Surulere representative revealed that his official security detail was abruptly withdrawn on Saturday under circumstances that remain unclear. Despite the rising tensions, structural bias, and the sudden vulnerability regarding his personal security, the lawmaker maintained that the willpower of the electorate should not be suppressed through state or local government apparatuses ahead of the crucial primary election.
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