- He said the process remained peaceful and free from violence
- He noted that participation was impressive despite the exercise being an internal party primary
- He also urged all aspirants and their supporters to accept the outcome of the election in the spirit of sportsmanship
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the All Progressives Congress House of Assembly primary election in Surulere Constituency I, Lagos State, as peaceful, transparent and well-organised.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that his remarks came as the constituency’s serving lawmaker, Desmond Elliott, pulled out of the contest, alleging intimidation and exclusion of his supporters.
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Gbajabiamila spoke with journalists after casting his vote at Ward G2 (Adeniran Ogunsanya Ward 5) located within Alaka Housing Estate in Surulere.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise and commended party members for maintaining order throughout the process.
“This is my ward, Ward G2, and I have always voted here throughout my political career,” he said.
“Whenever I witness an election that is peaceful, credible and orderly, I feel encouraged, and that is exactly what happened today.”
He noted that participation was impressive despite the exercise being an internal party primary.
“Considering that this is a primary election, the turnout has been remarkable. People conducted themselves peacefully and the process was transparent. I congratulate members of Ward G2,” Gbajabiamila added.
He further stated that reports from other wards indicated that the exercise was similarly peaceful across the constituency.
However, Elliott announced his withdrawal from the race at the Paddington Mini Stadium on Western Avenue, venue of the APC primary.
The actor-turned-politician alleged that his supporters were repeatedly denied entry into the voting venue despite efforts to resolve the issue with election officials.
“Across different zones, our supporters have been intimidated and prevented from participating. I am officially withdrawing from this race,” Elliott said.
“This is my ward and the people outside are my supporters, yet they have not been allowed access.”
Following his announcement, supporters staged a peaceful protest before leaving the venue alongside him.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Leaders Forum in Ward G2, Ekundayo Decker, described the exercise as evidence of healthy internal democracy within the APC.
He said the process remained peaceful and free from violence.
“This is democracy in action. Voting went smoothly and there were no disruptions or conflicts,” Decker said.
He also urged all aspirants and their supporters to accept the outcome of the election in the spirit of sportsmanship.
Surulere Constituency I emerged as one of the major centres of attention during the APC primaries, with Gbajabiamila-backed aspirant Barakat Odunuga-Bakare challenging Elliott, who was seeking a fourth term in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
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