Desmond Elliot, a popular Nigerian actor turned politician, has once again issued a public apology for his insensitive comments about Nigerian youths during the October 2020 EndSARS protest. This comes after he was heavily criticized on social media for referring to those who reacted to the shootings at the Lekki Tollgate as children and advocating for the regulation of social media after the protest.
Elliot, who represents the Surulere I constituency at the Lagos State legislature, had initially issued an apology statement in October 2020 to those who felt hurt by his comments. However, during his recent interview on TVC’s ‘Your View,’ he offered further clarification on the matter, insisting that he wasn’t referring to all youths on social media as children, but only those who were cursing the Lagos House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru.
During the interview, Elliot said: “What I can say is, I think forgiveness is divine. I mean, no one owns it all. Something can be your truth, and to another person, it might not be. I do not think going back to bring out those sensitive moments would do anything."
He went on to add, “I think at the end of the day, I apologized, and I’m still apologizing 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 was too much. The polity, the hatred is too much. We are all built on love. We can change things through love.”
Elliot's comments during the EndSARS protest had caused outrage among Nigerian youths, who saw it as a lack of understanding and empathy towards their plight. Many took to social media to express their disappointment in the actor-turned-politician, with some even calling for his resignation.
However, Elliot's recent apology has been met with mixed reactions from the public. While some have commended him for taking responsibility for his actions and seeking to make amends, others have criticized him for not fully understanding the impact of his words on the youths and for using the excuse of being emotional to justify his comments.
In response to the backlash, Elliot has promised to do better and to work towards creating a better understanding between him and the youths he represents. He said: “I have a responsibility to my constituency and to my people. I have been elected to represent them, and I will continue to do my best to ensure that their needs and concerns are addressed. I promise to work with them and to do everything within my power to make things better.”
Despite his apology, some Nigerians believe that Elliot needs to do more to prove that he understands the concerns of the youths and is committed to addressing them. They have called on him to engage more with the youths and to take concrete steps towards promoting youth empowerment and development in his constituency.
In recent times, Nigerian youths have become increasingly vocal in their demand for a better country, with calls for good governance, improved infrastructure, and an end to police brutality. The EndSARS protest, which started in October 2020, was a youth-led movement that sought to bring attention to these issues and to demand accountability from the government.
Elliot's comments during the protest highlighted the disconnect that exists between Nigerian youths and some of their elected representatives, who they see as out of touch with their reality. His recent apology is seen as a step towards bridging this divide and fostering better relations between the youths and their representatives.
However, it remains to be seen if Elliot's apology will be enough to heal the wounds caused by his comments during the EndSARS protest.