Actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot has raised alarm over alleged intimidation, political coercion, and the withdrawal of his security aides ahead of the All Progressives Congress direct primaries in Surulere.
The Lagos lawmaker, who currently represents Surulere Constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, made the allegations in a video shared on his X page on Sunday, where he accused unnamed political actors of targeting his supporters and attempting to manipulate the primary process.
According to Desmond, tension has been building within the constituency as party members prepare for the APC direct primaries scheduled for May 20.
While appreciating President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership for approving direct primaries nationwide, the actor insisted that the process must remain free and fair.
“I want to appreciate the President of this great country and the party leadership for allowing direct primaries to be held across the country,” he said.
“We say thank you so much because this is meant to test the popularity of all the aspirants across the board.”
However, the lawmaker alleged that intimidation and pressure tactics were already being used against party members believed to support him politically.
“I want to bring to your notice that intimidation, coercion, arm twisting and forcing people to follow their own candidate is what exists today in Surulere,” he alleged.
Desmond further claimed that some APC loyalists were allegedly threatened with exclusion from empowerment programs if they refused to support a preferred candidate.
“Please, this is not done and should not be done. We are all members of the same party,” he stated.
The actor-politician also alleged that some local government workers lost their jobs because of their association with him.
“We’ve been intimidated so much that a lot of people from the local government have been fired because they follow me,” he claimed.
“That should not be allowed.”
According to him, local government authorities had already openly aligned with another aspirant months before the primaries.
“It is bad enough that the local government already took a side months ago to support a particular aspirant,” he added.
One of the most serious claims made by the lawmaker involved his personal security.
Desmond disclosed that his security aides were allegedly withdrawn without explanation.
“My security personnel were taken away from me yesterday for reasons best known to them,” he said.
“Now I am left alone to myself. What have I done?”
He also warned about alleged plans to disrupt the primaries with violence and unrest.
“They want to bring people from outside and from within to cause mayhem and to cause trouble,” he alleged.
“Please allow for a free, fair election on the 20th of May, 2026.”
The latest political tension comes only days after Desmond publicly apologised to Femi Gbajabiamila over controversies linked to the Lagos Assembly leadership crisis.
During an appearance on TVC’s Your View, the actor admitted he may have offended the former Speaker during previous political disagreements.
Gbajabiamila had earlier claimed he almost lost his position as Chief of Staff because of allegations linking Desmond Elliot to the crisis involving the Lagos Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
Reacting publicly, Desmond had said:
“To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way.”
