Desmond Elliot, the lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, has said he sees himself as a different kind of politician who does not steal public money, insisting that his time in office has always been about service and making life better for his people.
Speaking during an interview on Morayo Brown’s The Morayo Show, the actor-turned-politician reflected on leadership, governance and the realities of public office, while stressing the need for humility among politicians.
“My own kind of politician, I don’t steal money. If you look at Surulere 10 years ago, it was a horrible place to live in,” he said.
According to Elliot, one of his biggest achievements as a lawmaker has been improving electricity supply in his constituency.
“Power is my greatest achievement as a lawmaker in Surulere Constituency I,” he said.
“Today, there is electricity, healthcare and all. If you look at Surulere 10 years ago, it was a horrible place to live in. Today, electricity is one of the best you can find anywhere else.”
He also warned politicians not to get carried away by power, reminding them that public office is temporary.
“We will all die one day. We are not here forever,” he said.
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“This I am saying to all of us politicians, we are not here forever. You were in that particular place for a reason, not because you are better than the next person. Trust me, there are way better people than you.”
The 52-year-old also spoke about Nigeria’s political system, saying the country needs a style of democracy that fits its own reality rather than copying what works elsewhere.
“We have to define our own style of democracy,” he said.
As part of his idea, Elliot suggested a long-term leadership arrangement where different regions would take turns governing the country.
“Let’s have a 30-year plan, for instance, and say for the next five years, let the west rule, the next five years let the north rule, the next five years let the central rule.
“Yet we are already following through a particular plan that leads us to 30 years. I’m just giving an idea.”
On the state of national politics, Elliot said he still believes in the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and does not currently see anyone who can take over from him.
“I’m thinking, okay, who is the next saviour that can remove Asiwaju from what he is doing? Presently, I cannot see yet,” he said.
Elliot joined politics in 2014 under the All Progressives Congress and won the Surulere Constituency I seat in 2015, which he has continued to hold since then.
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