The Hate Is Too Much, I Did Not Call Nigerian Youths ‘Children’ – Desmond Elliot

Nollywood actor and politician, Desmond Elliot has once again apologized to the youths over his comment during the #EndSARS protest in October 2020.

KanyiDaily recalls in 2021, Desmond Elliot incurred the wrath of Nigerian youths after he sponsored a bill to regulate social media activities in the country.

The lawmaker claimed that the use of social media by youths, influencers, and celebrities played a huge role in the violence that took place after the #EndSARS protest in 2020.

He added that social media have more negative impact in the country because of how the youths, who he described as “children”, insult and curse government officials on various online platforms.

Following the backlash he received due to his comments, Elliot apologized for addressing Nigerian youths as children while pushing for the social media bill.

Desmond Elliot Clarifies His #EndSARS Comments

During an interview with TVC on Thursday, March 10, 2023, the lawmaker once again begged for forgiveness, saying the hatred he has received over his comments was ‘too much.

Elliot, who is seeking re-election as the lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, insisted that he wasn’t referring to all youths on social media as children but those who were cursing Lagos Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.

He said: “What I can say is, I think forgiveness is divine. I mean, o one owns it all. Something can be your truth and to another person, it might not be. I don’t think going back to bring out those sensitive moments would do anything.

“I think at the end of the day, I apologised for, and I’m still apologising to those who must have misconstrued what I said. I said I was taken by emotions but in the end, it still didn’t take away from the fact that the hatred is too much. The polity, the hatred is too much. We are all built on love. We can change things by love.

“I’m in politics now, eight years and I still stand on the fact that love conquers all. I mean, I’ve gone out on the street and people still curse at me. But I’m not afraid, I’m not ashamed. Because they don’t understand the stress that you go through and I pick it from their point of view because someone just hoped that you could just help him or her. And at that point, you are stressed with so many things. So at the end of the day, it happened.

“I wasn’t referring to everybody as children. It was the people that were on my Mr. Speaker’s handle, that were talking to Mr. Speaker, I was referring to, and not everybody. And truly, they were teenagers, when I clicked on those who were cursing at Mr. Speaker. And that’s exactly what I said. But I’m sorry again.

“That’s what politics teaches you. You must learn. You must! You can never be prideful. You can never buga in politics. Who you be? So, you must humble yourself. If you wan buga, go inside your gym and get weight. Lose weight when you’re outside. Lose it!”

KanyiDaily recalls that Desmond Elliot had recently come under fire on social media after he donated new transformers for his constituents ahead of the elections.