Nollywood actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot has been ousted from the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Surulere Constituency I seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly, suffering a crushing defeat to former Special Adviser on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, in Wednesday’s party primaries.
Odunuga-Bakare, who enjoys the backing of President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, dominated the contest from start to finish, amassing 11,385 votes to Elliot’s 270 — a margin that left little doubt about where grassroots APC loyalties now lie in the constituency.
The primary drew a heavy turnout across the wards. Odunuga-Bakare swept Akinhanmi/Cole Ward with 2,191 votes to Elliot’s 82, and dominated Yaba/Ojuelegba Ward 980 to 3. At Gbaja Stadium Ward, she took 523 votes while Elliot drew a blank. She further extended her lead at Owolewa Open Field with 1,956 votes against Elliot’s 10, and at Iponri/Eric Moore Ward where she polled 1,805 votes to his six.
Elliot’s only bright spot came at Shitta/Ogunlana Ward, the sole ward he managed to win, securing 270 votes to Odunuga-Bakare’s 169.
The defeat marks the end of a remarkable run for Elliot, who first won the Surulere I seat in the April 2015 general elections and held it across multiple terms — balancing legislative duties with his prolific career in the Nigerian film industry.
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