Desmond Elliot: From Nollywood to parliament

Lagos. When film maker and actor Desmond Elliot first declared his intention to contest a parliamentary seat not many took him seriously.

There were just too many odds that were against him as a first timer including the fact that the incumbent was still active.

It was not going to be an easy ride for a man who was known more for his exploits on the camera.

But even as the odd rared their ugly heads towards him he stood firm and finally went through the storms.

Desmond Elliot who contested the Lagos State House of Assembly election under the All Progressives Congress ( APC) was early this week declared winner of the Surulere Constituency.

Early on Sunday, Nigerian media reported that Elliot, who ran on an All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket, beat his opponent Mr Bayo Smith of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) raking in 23,141 votes against his rival’s 12,546 to clinch the Surulere Constituency seat.

A Nigerian online magazine quoted an Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) official “That Desmond Olusola Elliot of APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared winner and is returned elected.”

The actor turned politician could hardly  hold his joy as he took to his Facebook wall to share his joy with his legion of fans that are all over Africa.

“Today marks a new phase in my life as I have officially launched my journey into the Nigerian politics. First, I would love to thank the people of Surulere for truly believing in me and my dreams to bringing out new energy and new enthusiasm to our place,” he wrote

He added: Today I reaffirm all my promises to you, we have attained victory together and together we shall also attain ‘The Change We Desire’. I also want to extend my profound gratitude to everyone who has supported me in this cause, my friends, fans and well-wishers. May God bless you all!

But even as he celebrated his win which many doubted at the beginning, claims that he had bribed his way to the Nigerian Parliament surfaced.

“Please disreguard any news of me sharing money or bribing officers for my election. I didn’t bribe my way to where God has placed me,” wrote the film actor and producer attracting more than 850 reactions.

Having featured in more than 200 films Desmond Elliot who won an award in the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice awards is a household name in Tanzania.

His latest film which he released early this year is called The Department.

In fact there are some who were even tempted to say that he is more famous than the president elect.

Who is Desmond?

Though Eliot is an economics graduate from Lagos State University, he says he was influenced by a friend to become an actor.

He started playing roles in soap operas like Everyday People, One Too Much and Saints and Sinners, these helped to galvanize him as the actor that he later became .

He is one of Nollywood’s leading actors, having appeared in over two hundred films including Men Who Cheat, Yahoo Millionaire and Atlanta.

In 2008 Elliot co-produced and co-directed the “Reloaded” movie which received 3 nominations at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2009.

In 2009 and 2010, Elliot was nominated for the Best Actor category at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

Also since 2010, Elliot has been competing to become the ambassador for the Face of Hope Project, a “volunteer-based non-profit, non-religious, non-political organisation established to give hope to the hopeless,” in which he intended to work toward fixing “child illiteracy in Nigeria and Africa at large.”

He won best supporting actor in a drama at the 2nd Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and was nominated for best supporting actor at the 10th Africa Movie Academy Awards.