ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Olusola Elliot, on Thursday appealed to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, for forgiveness over any perceived offence as he formally declared his intention to seek re-election ahead of the 2027 polls.
Elliot made the appeal while speaking to journalists shortly after picking his nomination form to contest again for the Surulere Constituency I seat, signalling a push for a fourth term in the Lagos Assembly.
“Our leader is a compassionate leader. A leader of thought. We are children. Children sometimes err. If I have erred in any way, my leader, I am sorry. Give me another chance, and let’s move on, and let’s bring more dividends of democracy to the people,” he said.
“Although he has not said that I have erred, I’m just saying that if I have, then this is the situation.”
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The actor-turned-politician also dismissed reports suggesting he was rejected by the Surulere Accountability Forum, describing the claims as politically motivated.
“I don’t know them. It’s just political propaganda. You can see for yourself. I only came to declare to the CDA, and you can see for yourself,” he added.
Defending his decision to seek a fourth term, Elliot argued that legislative experience directly translates to greater benefits for constituents, insisting that continuity in office enhances effectiveness.
“Three terms is great. But guess what? Another term is fantastic. You can see the developmental strides we are making in the legislature. The longer you stay, the better you become.
“When you become a ranking member, what you get for your people is way better than when you start.
“There are areas we still need more roads, and we still need more jobs. Where they give us slots of two, two, three, three. As a ranking member, you know you get more. And then other things, you get better committees that will help you bring better development to your people, as you have seen in Surulere.”
He further outlined plans to deepen legislative awareness and civic orientation if re-elected, including pushing for the establishment of an Institute of Legislative Studies and a Lagos State Orientation Agency.
“I want to make sure that younger kids begin to learn legislature right from primary and secondary school. I also want to push the Lagos State Orientation Agency. That agency is supposed to help in teaching us those things that are not in the law, but will help in bringing morals, values, and culture back into our society,” he said.
Elliot likened governance to a continuum, stressing that retaining experienced lawmakers offers strategic advantages within the legislative system.
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“If you say I should stop, then in the legislature, if you stop, you start with somebody who started from the beginning. So that person starts from one. And then the things that your ranking members will get, the person who starts will not get it. So you see that it pays to have someone go over and over again.
“Like my leader. In his fourth term, he tried to become Speaker, and then he got it in his fifth term. And trust me, if he were in his first or second term, he definitely would not have been Speaker.”
His declaration adds to early political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly within Lagos, where internal alignments and loyalty to party leadership remain key factors in determining candidacies.