Desmond Elliot, a popular Nollywood actor and Lagos lawmaker, has credited Adams Oshiomhole, the former Governor of Edo State, with facilitating his entry into politics by introducing him to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, Elliot revealed how Oshiomhole arranged his first meeting with Tinubu in Benin, a pivotal moment in his career.
“One day, Comrade Oshiomhole told me Asiwaju (Tinubu) was coming to Benin. When he arrived, Adams took me to the table where Tinubu was seated and said, ‘This is my son.’ Tinubu replied, ‘Yeah, he knows me.’ That was how the connection began,” Elliot recalled.
The Surulere Constituency representative at the Lagos State House of Assembly stated that Tinubu was impressed by his passion and commitment, despite his successful acting career, and connected him with Sunday Dare, who was then Tinubu’s personal assistant.
“He was surprised that a young actor like me was so interested in politics. For some reason, he liked me from the start,” he said.
Desmond Elliot’s interest in politics started in the 1990s when he read about Chief MKO Abiola, inspiring a desire to serve in public office.
“Even though I didn’t have much, I always bought newspapers to read about MKO. Something about his story just lit a fire in me,” he said.
He also acknowledged Fouad Oki, a prominent APC figure, for mentoring him during his early political development.
He said: “While I was still acting, I would visit Uncle Fouad in the evenings to discuss politics. That was part of my learning curve. My wife didn’t take it seriously then.”
Elliot shared a memorable visit to Tinubu’s home alongside fellow actors Jide Kosoko, Mike Ezuruonye, and Chinedu ‘Aki’ Ikedieze.
“We went to his house around 7 pm and didn’t leave until after midnight. He was sharing insights and lessons from his time in government. We were amazed,” he said.
The lawmaker also addressed his 2023 election battle with fellow actor Olumide Oworu, who ran under the Labour Party banner.
“I wasn’t angry with Olumide. He’s smart and from Surulere. What hurt was the colleagues who endorsed him without even speaking to me,” he said.
Elliot stressed the importance of continuity in legislative work, citing former Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila as an example of how experience builds capacity.
“You don’t see real change in one term. Gbaja grew in influence with time, and that’s how you build lasting impact,” he noted.
