Nigerian actor Desmond Elliot who has starred in over two hundred Nollywood films has won a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Surulere state constituency.
The actor beat Kabiru Lawal to win the seat on Tuesday however other candidates have called foul claiming that there was favouritism, with some rumours going as far as saying that Lawal stepped down after pleadings from party leaders.
On why he ventured from the Nigerian big screen to Nigerian politics, Elliot said that he was tired of the ‘pathetic’ state that Nigeria is currently in.
“The current situation is very pathetic. I feel God has helped me thus far and I want to give back through politics that will be favourable to the youths,” he stated.
“The worst part of our national life is that the level of corruption has not allowed youths to understand what it means to live a meaningful life. Just because of lack of knowledge of what to do, we are being side tracked.
“There are no jobs, and issues like these lead to frustration. A whole lot needs to be done on agriculture, every state in Nigeria needs to see how it can contribute to nation building. There’s a lot that needs to be done.”
Elliot was not the only Nigerian celebrity to set their sights on a political seat this year. Gospel Singer Kenny Saint Best ran for the seat in Ikeja however she lost to Folajimi Mohammed, son of APC chieftain and National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed.
