11,000 votes vs. zero: How “BBA” turned Surulere upside down to crush Desmond Elliot

Summary

• Barrister Barakat Olawunmi Odunuga-Bakare (BBA) decisively defeated veteran celebrity politician Desmond Elliot in the May 20, 2026, APC primary for Surulere Constituency I.

• BBA secured a staggering 11,385 votes compared to Elliot’s 270 votes, sweeping every single ward—including one where the incumbent scored zero.

• By combining deep grassroots alliances (market women, youth, and artisans) with the powerful backing of Femi Gbajabiamila’s political structure, BBA successfully positioned herself as the new face of Surulere heading into 2027.

If you had told anyone in Lagos politics that a three-term incumbent, a Nollywood veteran, and a certified political heavyweight would be completely demolished in an internal party primary, they would have laughed you out of the room.

But on Tuesday, May 20, 2026, the political landscape of Surulere Constituency I experienced a massive shift.

The woman behind the upset? Barrister Barakat Olawunmi Odunuga-Bakare, affectionately known to her supporters as "BBA".

In what reflects the most dramatic primary upset in recent Nigerian history, Odunuga-Bakare not only defeated Hon. Desmond Elliot for the APC House of Assembly ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections but also completely dismantled his political structure.

The numbers tell a story of absolute political dominance. Here is how "BBA" pulled off the unthinkable and left the incumbent with a scorecard that shocked the nation.

Before becoming the giant-killer of Surulere, BBA was already a formidable force in Lagos administration. A brilliant legal practitioner, her track record includes:

• Special Adviser on Housing to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

• Former Leader of the Surulere Legislative Council.

• Key campaign coordinator during the 2023 elections.

BBA was the ultimate insider. She had spent years orchestrating grassroots mobilisation for the party’s biggest names, including President Bola Tinubu, Governor Sanwo-Olu, and, ironically, Desmond Elliot himself in his previous runs. 

She knew how the machinery worked because she helped build it.

Desmond Elliot has held the Surulere Constituency I seat since 2015. Confident in his position, he brushed off rumours of a replacement just days before the election, publicly declaring, "Let the people decide." 

He expected his celebrity (often tweaked as 'yeyebrity') status to carry him through. Instead, BBA executed a textbook political strategy that caught him completely off guard.

In Surulere, all political roads lead to Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President and undisputed godfather of the constituency.

BBA firmly secured the backing of the powerful Gbajabiamila political structure. At a massive rally at "The Stable" in Bode Thomas, nearly every other aspirant stepped down and collapsed their campaigns into hers. 

Heavyweights like Fuad Laguda (House of Reps) and Idris Aregbe (Special Adviser on Tourism) openly declared their support for BBA, leaving Elliot isolated.

In the days leading up to the vote, Elliot’s campaign director even resigned to join BBA’s camp, as documented in a pre-election news brief by TVC News on YouTube. 

Elliot went on the defensive, alleging that his team faced intimidation and that his security protection had been withdrawn.

He also went on the defensive, forced to publicly deny accusations that he had masterminded a controversial 2025 plot to impeach Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

Meanwhile, BBA took to the airwaves on TVC’s Your View, boldly calling out Elliot’s legislative track record, dismissing his claimed achievements, and calmly stating she had "no fear" of facing him at the polls.

While Elliot relied on name recognition, BBA went door-to-door. She locked down tight alliances with local stakeholders who felt the incumbent had become inaccessible:

• Market women groups and traders

• Youth associations and artisan groups

• The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)

• Auto technicians and disability groups

When the votes were counted, the result was a total political humiliation.

As outlined in the comprehensive post-election breakdown by Legit.ng, the final tally an overwhelming gap:

• Barr. Barakat Odunuga-Bakare (BBA): 11,385 votes

• Hon. Desmond Elliot: 270 votes

BBA swept every single polling enclave in Surulere, leaving the celebrity incumbent with single-digit results in areas he had represented for over a decade.

The Zero-Vote Shocker: In Gbaja/Stadium, a ward Elliot had represented for eleven years, he secured exactly zero votes.

With the primary officially concluded, Punch Newspapers reports that Barakat Olawunmi Odunuga-Bakare has secured the ticket as the official APC candidate for Surulere Constituency I heading into the general elections.