Lagos lawmaker and Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot, has explained why he is seeking a fourth term to represent Surulere Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Elliot, while addressing his constituents during a campaign on Friday, said his ambition was driven by the possibility of becoming a principal officer in the Assembly.
In a video that went viral on 𝕏, the lawmaker urged his supporters not to bow to intimidation from rival camps.
He said, “The question is, ‘what am I looking for in the fourth term that I am being intimidated to step down’. Don’t accept it, you have invested so much in me. There is a high chance that I will become a principal officer.
“On the 21st of May, stand your ground, come out in your large numbers to vote for me, and I will emerge victorious.”
Before the campaign, there were indications that some All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders, including supporters of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, were backing a former aide to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, to challenge Elliot in the party primary.
Elliot, who quoted Psalm 121 during the campaign, said he was confident God would help him overcome the internal contest.
“One with God is the majority,” he said.
Elliot Apologises To Gbajabiamila
Earlier on Friday, Elliot publicly apologised to Gbajabiamila, whom he described as his political mentor.
Speaking on TVC’s Your View, the lawmaker said any misunderstanding between them was unintentional and insisted he remained committed to party unity.
“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,” he said.
The apology followed previous tensions linked to the Lagos Assembly leadership crisis, during which Gbajabiamila said President Bola Tinubu confronted him over intelligence reports alleging Elliot’s involvement in the speakership tussle, a claim Elliot denied at the time.