The All Progressives Congress (APC) has released its final list of candidates for the Lagos State House of Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections in Nigeria. As reported on Monday, May 25, by The Nation, the list, signed by the state party chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, confirmed that 12 sitting lawmakers failed to secure return tickets, including three principal officers and several high-profile members.
List of Lawmakers Who Lost APC Tickets
Legit.ng highlights the 12 Lagos lawmakers who failed to secure APC tickets for the 2027 elections:
- Desmond Elliot (Surulere Constituency I)
- Setonji David (Deputy Chief Whip)
- Lanre Afini (Lagos Island I)
- Gbolahan Ogunleye (Ikorodu Constituency I)
- Noheem Adams (Majority Leader)
- Fatai Mojeed (Chief Whip)
- Apata Samuel (Somolu Constituency II)
- Jubreel Abdulkareem (Agege II)
- Stephen Ogundipe (Oshodi/Isolo I)
- Emmanuel Oloto (Ifako-Ijaiye II)
- Bonu Solomon (Badagry II)
- Obafemi Saheed (Kosofe II)
Desmond Elliot Withdraws from APC Primary
On May 20, Desmond Elliot pulled out of the APC primary election for the Surulere 1 seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly after alleging that his supporters were prevented from participating in the exercise. Surulere Constituency I was a flashpoint in the recent APC primaries. Elliot announced his decision at the Paddington Mini Stadium along Western Avenue, venue of the party's primary. The 52-year-old claimed that repeated appeals to electoral officials for access to the venue were ignored.
“And of course, in all zones, they’ve been intimidating and stopping us. I want to officially announce my withdrawal from this particular race. This is my ward. If you go outside, those are my people outside,” he said.
In contrast, Femi Gbajabiamila, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's chief of staff, said reports he received indicated that the exercise was transparent across the constituency. The Punch quoted Gbajabiamila as saying: “The election has been free and transparent, and I am happy to see that. So, I congratulate the people.”
Barakat Odunuga Takes Desmond Elliot's Ticket
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the APC declared a former aide to Lagos state governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, the winner of the Surulere Constituency I House of Assembly primary election. The election, held across six wards in Surulere, saw Bakare win all wards with large margins and reportedly featured incumbent lawmaker Elliot. Declaring Odunuga-Bakare the winner, the local government area returning officer, Yussuf Kelani, said the female aspirant polled a total of 11,625 votes, officially making her the party’s candidate for the constituency.
