Key highlights
- Desmond Elliot polled 17,837 votes to beat his Labour party candidate, Adebayo Bode, who recorded 7,822 votes.
- He appreciated the House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, for his support towards his successful re-election.
- Elliot was also seen in a video celebrating with his supporters in Surulere.
Popular Nollywood actor-turned-politician, Desmond Elliot of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), has been declared the winner of the Surulere 1 constituency for the Lagos House of Assembly.
Elliot, who is winning the legislative election for the third consecutive time, won his re-election bid after polling 17,837 votes to defeat his closest rival, Adebayo Bode of the Labour Party (LP) who polled 7,822 votes.
Thompson Sulaimon Abolaji of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came a distant third with 1,045 votes.
The build-up to the election in Surulere has been very intense and sometimes violent with a reported attack on the campaign train of the House of Assembly candidate in Surulere by political thugs.
Elliot celebrates with his supporters
Following the victory, Elliot, who has faced intense criticism from the public, especially on social media, was seen in a viral video thanking and celebrating with his supporters in Surulere.
The actor’s supporters which include both men and women could be heard chanting in Yoruba that “they voted and won”, with Elliot seen appreciating some of them as he went around.
Elliot was also seen in a viral video appreciating the Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, for his support towards a successful outing in the state assembly election in Surulere.
LAGOS tonight. pic.twitter.com/8YcW2YwVWA
— Ayekooto (@DeeOneAyekooto) March 18, 2023
Desmond Elliots remarks
The politician was thereafter labelled “Nigeria Twitter’s number one scapegoat”, with a lot of banter and abuse from Nigerian youths coming his way.
- Elliot had in a recent media interview said that he has been apologising, but noted that the hatred is too much.
- He said, “I’m still apologising to those who must have misconstrued what I said, I said I was taken by emotions.
- “But, in the end, it still didn’t take away from the facts, the hatred is too much, the polity, the hatred is too much.”
- The actor also said people still cast aspersions on him in the streets.
- He added, “I’m in politics now for eight years and I still stand on the fact that love conquers all. I mean I’ve gone out in the streets and people still curse me.
- “But I’m not afraid, I’m not ashamed because they don’t understand the stress that you go through.”
The politician further clarified that he didn’t refer to the collective youth as “children”, but noted that he was talking to teenagers who insulted the speaker in the house of Assembly.
