Tinubu Turns Down Pressure to Back Desmond Elliot’s 4th Term Bid — Sources

Efforts by Lagos State House of Assembly member, Desmond Elliot, to secure a fourth term have reportedly been halted after President Bola Tinubu declined repeated interventions on his behalf, according to multiple Presidency sources.

Officials familiar with the discussions said several influential figures separately approached the President, seeking support for Elliot’s return to the Surulere 1 constituency seat. The requests were consistently turned down.

The lobbying effort, according to the sources, followed a decision by Surulere APC stakeholders to back the immediate past Lagos State Special Adviser on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, as Elliot’s preferred replacement. The endorsement was said to be aligned with a broader push for gender inclusion in representation.

It was gathered that Elliot deployed several intermediaries over time, including a retired military officer, his spouse, a serving senator, a cabinet minister, and another presidential ally, to make representations at the Presidential Villa. None of the engagements reportedly altered the President’s position.

Sources said Tinubu maintained that party stakeholders in Surulere should be allowed to determine their preferred candidate without external interference.

The President was also said to have expressed support for internal party processes, stressing that a direct primary would be the most reliable test of grassroots backing within the APC structure in Surulere.

According to one of the accounts, Tinubu referenced his early knowledge of Elliot, stating that he became aware of him about 12 years ago during the 2015 Lagos State House of Assembly race. He reportedly said the late entry of Elliot into politics was facilitated through requests made to APC leadership figures at the time.

He also noted that Elliot’s initial acceptance in Surulere politics was supported by key local party leaders who helped integrate him into the constituency’s political structure.

In one of the sessions, the President was quoted as saying that any candidate who no longer enjoys the backing of the political base that supported their emergence should take that development seriously, describing it as a reflection of shifting public sentiment.

Tinubu also reportedly referenced recent political tensions in other parts of the country, warning that disregard for community support structures can create instability in governance and party cohesion.

He maintained that if Elliot believed he could win the party ticket against the prevailing structure backing Odunuga-Bakare and APC leadership in Surulere, the primary election would provide the opportunity.

Despite the President’s position, sources say Elliot’s camp is still exploring last-minute political engagement through close allies while Tinubu is currently in France, in a bid to revisit the issue before the APC primary scheduled for May 20, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Surulere Accountability Front (SAF) has reiterated its opposition to Elliot’s bid for another term.

Chairman of the group, Olanrewaju Badmus, described Elliot’s tenure as lacking in effective representation, saying dissatisfaction within the constituency had grown over time.

He stated that many young people in Surulere were seeking change in representation, adding that the call for a new candidate reflected the position of a large section of stakeholders within the constituency.