A major political shake-up has hit the Lagos State House of Assembly race as the Director-General of the campaign organisation of Lagos lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, Bless Koye, has withdrawn his support for the legislator and declared backing for All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare
Koye made the announcement in a viral video circulating on social media, where he publicly declared his decision to leave what he described as the “Desmond group” for the “Barakat group.”
“I’ll decamp from Desmond group to Barakat group,” he said in the video, signalling a sudden shift in loyalty ahead of the party’s internal contest. 
His defection has sparked political reactions, with observers describing it as a potential crack within the support structure of Elliot, who currently represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly and is reportedly seeking a third term.
The development comes amid growing political activity within the Lagos APC ahead of future electoral contests, where internal realignments and endorsements are beginning to take shape.
In a separate development, Elliot recently tendered an apology to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, during an appearance on TVC’s Your View, saying any disagreement between them may have been due to political misunderstandings.
Elliot said he entered politics under the guidance of Gbajabiamila, whom he described as his “egbon,” adding that their relationship had been shaped by mentorship and political alignment over the years.
“I’m not saying, oh, yes, media will come out, oh yes, Desmond begs again. Yes, because he’s my egbon. And I grew up learning everything I knew in politics through him,” Elliot said.
He added that political relationships are not immune to misunderstandings and disagreements.
Earlier, Gbajabiamila had recounted how he nearly ran into political trouble due to tensions linked to Elliot’s involvement in the Lagos Assembly saga, noting that intelligence reports had suggested the lawmaker’s involvement in internal party disputes.
“He is part of the people causing problems in the Lagos Assembly. I am telling you from intelligence that he was part of them. Go and tell him to retrace his steps,” Bola Tinubu reportedly told him.
However, Gbajabiamila said he told Bola Tinubu that Elliot was not part of the group in question, although he had not directly confronted the lawmaker at the time.
“I just said he wasn’t,” he said.
He added that he later contacted Elliot and advised him to avoid actions that could deepen internal party tensions.
The latest defection of Elliot’s campaign DG is expected to further intensify political calculations within the Surulere political space as aspirants position themselves ahead of future contests.
