{"id":21812,"date":"2026-05-03T01:19:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T01:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/?p=21812"},"modified":"2026-05-03T01:23:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T01:23:50","slug":"desmond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/2026\/05\/03\/desmond\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDesmond Elliot: \u2018Surulere Made Me \u2014 Now It\u2019s Time to Give Back\u2019 as He Announces 4th Assembly Run\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Desmond Elliot<\/a>, Nollywood actor and member representing Surulere constituency 1 in the Lagos house of assembly, says he is not done with the suburb that has given him everything.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

On a humid, sunny afternoon in the sweltering Lagos temperatures, Elliot, sporting a blue T-shirt on brown trousers and surrounded by a throng of residents and supporters, declared his intention to run again to represent his constituency.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurulere has blessed me. I have studied up to doctorate level in legislative studies, which makes me well-grounded in lawmaking,\u201d he said in an emotion-laden cadence.<\/p>\n

Citing \u201cnumerous interventions and projects\u201d facilitated through the instrumentality of his ranking status within the Lagos state house of assembly, Elliot said a lot has changed since his first coming.<\/p>\n

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At a packed stakeholders\u2019 parley which had former Surulere LGA chairman Tajudeen Ajide and other All Progressives Congress (APC) members and loyalists in attendance, Elliot reeled out his scorecard that included over 30 road infrastructure interventions, flood mitigation efforts, healthcare provision, and energy interventions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came to the CDA, which is the party at the local government, and also the community development people, to inform them of my intention to run again to represent the good people of Surulere Constituency I,\u201d he said, amid a surging, vociferous crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am overwhelmed by the reception from the CDA, from the local government, from everywhere. It is fantastic. I am very honoured.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supporters holding placards with inscriptions such as \u2018Experience over Experiment\u2019 had lined Akerele, Shitta, Masha and Benson streets all morning and afternoon, while belting Elliot\u2019s name to the rafters.<\/p>\n

A raft of Nollywood actors \u2014 from the actor-turned-politician\u2019s primary constituency \u2014 were also on the ground.<\/p>\n

On Akerele and Benson streets, DOE \u2014 initials for Desmond Olushola Eliott \u2014 had been engraved on the tarmac.<\/p>\n

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Elliot, who is seeking another term after over a decade in office, anchored his campaign on the theme: \u2018Experience Over Experiment\u2019, arguing that continuity in leadership would better serve the constituency.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cExperience cannot be bought. If you start afresh, it takes years to build. So why waste that time when you can continue with tested experience?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Highlighting his achievements, Elliot pointed to improvements in flood control across Surulere, attributing the progress to sustained drainage maintenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlooding used to be a major issue, but last year, you did not hear of flooding in Surulere because we ensured constant desilting of drainage and canals,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

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He also listed infrastructure and energy interventions, including \u201cthe rehabilitation of over 32 roads and improvements in electricity supply\u201d through collaborative efforts with key stakeholders such as Femi Gbajabiamila and power distribution companies.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cToday, power supply in Surulere is more stable. We facilitated metering and supported the establishment of an injection substation through collaboration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

On healthcare, Elliot said he has sponsored medical outreach programmes, including surgeries and the distribution of medications to residents.<\/p>\n

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He also pledged to expand job opportunities, leveraging his influence in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough my platform in Nollywood, I have been able to create opportunities, and I promise to do more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The lawmaker further noted that his return to the assembly would strengthen his influence as a ranking member, enabling him to attract more developmental projects to the constituency.<\/p>\n

\u201cExperience brings greater capacity. As a ranking member, there are better opportunities to deliver more for my people,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Elliot\u2019s declaration signals the commencement of intensified political activities in Surulere as stakeholders gear up for the next electoral cycle.<\/p>\n

Speaking with journalists in Surulere, Sunny McDonald, a veteran actor popularly known as \u2018Ancestor\u2019, said Elliot represents a \u201cwinning team\u201d whose performance in office justifies continued support.<\/p>\n

\u201cGlobally, people say you do not change a winning team. Desmond is a winning team. From the work he has done in Surulere, it is clear he has delivered. We are here to support him and give him a renewed mandate,\u201d McDonald said.<\/p>\n

Also speaking, Cornell Udofia, director of communications for the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Lagos state chapter, described Elliot as an experienced leader who deserves another opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cDesmond has been tested and trusted. With his experience and what he has already achieved, I believe he will deliver even more. Experience cannot be bought in the market,\u201d Udofia said.<\/p>\n

He urged residents to vote based on competence and proven performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople should vote for experience, competence, and a credible brand that can further showcase Surulere,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Highlighting Elliot\u2019s impact, Udofia noted that the lawmaker has contributed significantly to youth empowerment, women development, and support for the less privileged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe records are there for everyone to see. He has done well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Also, a community leader, Prince Taofeek Dabiri, commended Elliot\u2019s accessibility and responsiveness to needs of constituents.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is very accessible. If you reach out to him, he responds and addresses issues. That is what governance is about,\u201d Dabiri said.<\/p>\n

According to him, Elliot\u2019s previous terms in the Lagos state house of assembly have been impactful.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has done so many things for Surulere. His contributions are countless,\u201d Dabiri said, as a crowd broke into chants and songs in the background.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Desmond Elliot, Nollywood actor and member representing Surulere constituency 1 in the Lagos house of assembly, says he is not<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21812"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21815,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21812\/revisions\/21815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}