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On Sunday, May 17, 2026, political aspirant Barakat Bakare-Odunuga announced that every other aspirant in the race for Surulere Constituency I had stepped down and endorsed her, except incumbent lawmaker Desmond Elliott.
She announced at an event held at The Stable in the Bode Thomas area of Surulere.
“The others stepped down and are supporting me, and they’re all here, but the only person who didn’t step down and insisted on going to the primaries is Hon. Desmond Elliott. I wish him all the best, and I wish myself luck too,” she stated.
Barakat Bakare-Odunuga is a former Special Adviser on Housing to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and a legal practitioner with a Master’s degree in International Commercial Law from the University of Bedfordshire. She is contesting for a seat that Desmond Elliott has held for twelve years, from 2011 to the present, making this his fourth re-election bid.
Her declaration comes after all other male aspirants stepped down for her, except the four-term incumbent, Desmond Elliott.
The event was attended by APC leaders, including the Special Adviser to the Lagos Governor on Tourism, Idris Aregbe, and the member representing Surulere Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Fuad Laguda, who both pledged their support for her candidacy.
Barakat Bakare-Odunuga stated that every other aspirant in the race withdrew and endorsed her, except Desmond Elliott, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term to represent the constituency.
The aspirant stated that if elected, she would prioritise tangible legislative work for the constituency’s residents, like traders, students, women, and elders.
“Surulere is not just a constituency — it is a covenant. And today, I am making a covenant with every man, every woman, every trader, every student, and every elder in this great land,” Barakat stated
Desmond Elliott, who refused to step down, has held the Surulere Constituency I seat since 2011, making this his fourth re-election bid after twelve uninterrupted years in office. Constituents and political observers have repeatedly raised concerns about his legislative output during that period, questioning what substantive representation the constituency has received from an actor-turned-lawmaker across four terms.
Women remain significantly underrepresented in Nigerian legislative chambers at both state and federal levels. Meanwhile, the 2027 general elections, which are expected to be held in February 2027, present one of the few structured opportunities for women with political backing to contest seats currently occupied by long-serving male incumbents.
