A political pressure group, Surulere Accountability Front (SAF), has alleged a plot by the lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliott, to cause chaos during Wednesday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) assembly primaries in the constituency.
The group, in a statement on Tuesday by its Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Badmus, alleged that Elliott had allught non-residents into the constituency to disrupt the exercise across the six wards where voting would take place.
According to the group, the alleged plan is to use violence and gunshots to scare away genuine voters and force the primary election into an inconclusive outcome.
“We have confirmed information that Desmond Elliott, in desperation, has flooded Surulere 1 with non-Surulere people ahead of tomorrow’s primaries across all six wards where voting will take place.
“They allegedly plan to use gunshots to scare voters away and let the primary election become inconclusive, believing he will then be called for negotiation.
“We will not negotiate our representation with someone who has shown desperation, greed, disrespect for the organised Tinubu political structure in Lagos and lust for power,” the statement said.
The group further alleged that some of the individuals brought into the area were being accommodated in hotels, church halls, mosque halls, an OPC office in Ward G and market spaces within the constituency.
It claimed that some youths in the area had earlier chased out suspected outsiders from Lawanson Market and urged party members and residents to remain vigilant during the exercise.
“This is not the behaviour of a man who believes he can win. He wants to create chaos and then run to his media friends to claim he was rigged out.
“Do not give him that excuse. Know your ward members. If someone cannot be accounted for in your ward, reject them calmly and report immediately to party officials and security personnel on the ground, the group said.
The group also urged party members not to be distracted by social media campaigns, insisting that elections were won through grassroots mobilisation and participation.
It added that the party had assured full security coverage across the six wards and that accreditation for the exercise would be thorough.
The group declared support for the party’s gender inclusion policy and endorsed Mrs Barakat Odunuga-Bakare for the APC ticket in the constituency.
It would be recalled that Surulere Constituency I is one of the flashpoints in Wednesday’s APC primaries.
Odunuga-Bakare would contest against Elliott, who is seeking a fourth term in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
