This will be fun. The little boy has grown wings, not just wings but full eagle wings and he is flapping and ready to fly
Desmond Elliott who is my brother is gunning for the fourth time to be elected into the Lagos House of Assembly and his mantra is experience and not experiment
Those who created him have said he cannot, that he should relax for someone else.
They have even gone a step further to anoint someone, a lady and pushed her into the mainstream
This David is not agreeing as he has put his stone in his sling and with rare defiance is aiming to shoot at his Goliath
His Goliath this time is the President’s Chief of Staff Mr Gbaja who seems to have had Surulere under lock and key since the emergence of democracy after Abacha died
The fact that he really has no moral justification after he himself served for a marathon tenor in the House of Representatives, being of no barrier to him, has led to the insistence that Desmond must step down
I have reached out to Desmond to hear his side but he is obviously busy in the trenches and has not been able to take my calls.
I have started following this drama very closely and will soon go to Surulere with the hope of spending time with Desmond and observing
The arguments for and against Desmond are so self-serving even for a regime that has broken all known laws of democratic decency
We called him to come and join us, he has been on it for 12 years, he should step aside for someone else so that this thing can go around
This is what a top APC Operative in Abuja and very close to the Presidency told me
I smirked, hmmmm is that all? I asked, yes. How do you think those he displaced 12 years ago would be feeling, he continued.
I didn’t bother to ask her if legislative experience counted and certainly didn’t dare remind her that his principal nearly became a Methuselah in the House and from that same Surulere
The system is the most robust political machinery since Mandela’s ANC even more sturdy than AWO’s movement
An invisible hierarchy away from the visible lines of authority as prescribed by law
Office holders bearing allegiance to the invincible lines of power and taking full instructions.
Where there is a clash between the interests of the state and those of the powers, the powers will prevail
Disent is seriously frowned at and is seen as treason. Could lead to exorcism and extrication-ask Afikuyomi
It is this powerful structure that little Desmond Elliott is trying to go against
He is only the latest in a very thin line of small rebels
Fashola almost didn’t get a second term and we all saw the intrigues even involving the late Matriarch, who pleaded on his behalf as we heard
Ambode was next in line and we all knew what he faced, he was only just being rehabilitated
Sanwoolu is still in the grind and we his fervent supporters are in serious prayers for him and we still have others like Obanikoro and Jandor who go and come when they see that life is not easy
But the Osun strong man Aregbesola and maybe Osibajo who dared to stick out his neck to contest even though he was a far better candidate, stand expelled and treated as coup plotters
So as I watch the clips of Desmond go against this mighty wall of Jericho my natural inclination to stand with the underdog kicks in
I watch the motley crowd follow him, watch him speak of his achievements in office, watch him struggle with a Radio presenter on the need for him to go back and wish him well
Then I watch his esthwhile godfather Gbaja receive his opponent, watch him display the nomination form and also smile
I hear all envoys sent by Desmond to the President has fallen flat, as they have all been redirected to Gbaja who has taken a stance
What Desmond has done is to point a finger into the eye of his principal, Gbaja
Desmond was not known in political circles when he came in. He was a brilliant Nollywood actor who had developed an interest in politics
His timing was right cos the party was looking at leveraging Nollywood for their purposes and the then headquarters of Nollywood was in Surulere
So the handsome Desmond was in the right place at the right time
Gbaja stood by him, wrestled better-qualified candidates down and gave him the slot and Desmond in return made sure he delivered Surulere for Gbaja each time he was running for reelection.
Now let’s talk about Surulere. The place is DEAD. A cursory ride about the place, throws up a feeling of desolation
The best things are the roads started by Fashola who lived there to become Governor and continued by Ambode and strengthened by SANWO-OLU.
All you see in Surulere are interventionist programs with Gbaja’s pic and names plastered all over the place
One borehole here, one classroom there, one small bridge there, one football pitch there just things that the Local Government should be doing
Surulere is Gbaja town and will remain that for some time to come
The fact that the huge industries that used to span the Abebe Village corner and the Babs Animashaun and Eric Moore axis have all disappeared is of no concern to the overlords
We have not seen any policy shift to either bring them back or pull in new ones. What is left is just the giant breweries and Olam the Rice merchants
What Gbaja and Desmond have been struggling with is the number of public toilets that can be named after them to justify their hold on the seats
The huge malls have gone desolate, the stadium area is now beset with drug-taking dungeons, and the people just remain desolate and uncared for
It is in this morass that Desmond is seeking a fourth term and Gbaja is saying no with both arguments not looking at Surulere as a major industrial hub that has lost its shine
Will Desmond win this battle? I think not. He may have the support of the grassroots but we know that the final decision lies not in Surulere
My source says he should have just remained loyal and backed down and begged for ‘something else’
But if he doesn’t try the system how do we know if its influence is still all-pervading
I support Desmond not cos i think he will win but cos democracy needs him
We can understand the consensus candidate thing at the level of Governor and President but at this tiny level?
Free up the candidates, let them try themselves and let the better person win
This would even be better for the system as it would strengthen its base at the level of the masses and throw up new leaders who will be well positioned to take over from the creaky geriatric lot that are in control
Let Desmond breath mbok
Come and beat me instead
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: May 8, 2026
