‘You failed the youth, we’re voting you out’ — TASUED lecturer slams Desmond Elliot

Niyi Ogunkoya, a lecturer at the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ogun state, has tackled Desmond Elliot, an actor-turned-politician, over his comment on social media regulation in Nigeria.

Elliot, who is representing the Surulere constituency in the Lagos state house of assembly, had during a recent plenary session, spoken of the violent aftermath of the #EndSARS protests in Lagos.

While expressing his views, he had called the youth who reacted online to the October 20 Lekki shooting “children”.

Amid claims that he’s pushing for the regulation of social media, the lawmaker also stated that there’ll be no Nigeria in five years if the vices of social media weren’t addressed.

Ever since a video of his speech went viral on Thursday, prominent figures and entertainers have been venting their annoyance at him.

Joining the fray, Ogunkoya, who lectures at TASUED’s department of history and diplomatic studies, wrote a rejoinder wherein he informed the actor-turned-politician that he would ensure he is voted out of Lagos assembly come 2023.

Ogunkoya, who also accused Elliot of “failing the youth”, warned that history might not be kind to his burgeoning career.

“You, like any other member of your party, lack empathy and that is reflected in the way you attend to issues and especially issues of such magnitude,” the lecturer’s rejoinder seen by TheCable Lifestyle on Friday read in part.

“Dear Olushola Desmond Eliot (ODE), you owe the Nigerian youths so much because you have failed them all.

“Be rest assured that I have encouraged folks around me to get their PVCs. It would be ‘One Man One Vote’, we would change YOU and all, you can’t continue to use our commonwealth as you like as cast aspersions on us.

“Your inability to do what is right as a party man has in no small way contributed to the fact that poverty has become a routine in Nigeria and you have also joined forces with the oppressors to weaponize it.

“Yet you did not see anything bad about that. History may not be kind to you, having forgotten where you started.”

On Elliot’s reference to young protesters as “children” and his claim that they had been involved in the lootings and carnage that followed the Lekki shooting, Ogunkoya retorted that the politician isn’t much of an adult himself.

“In it, you were quick to forget that you are not so much an old man like I read in your statement. Or maybe put, that you are also a young man of about the age of 46 or thereabout,” the lecturer added.

“Therefore, you do not have the moral standard to refer to the protesters as children. That was way too much for you as some of us are within your age bracket, including, but not limited to myself.

“Recall, you’d promised your adherents and indeed your electorates, especially those on Social Media how you’ll keep them posted of events and happenings on the floor of the house.

“Is that how to pay people who had, against all odds, voted for you? I’m not surprised. You have joined mainstream politics. And so the right thing to do is forget your promises and cast aspersions on the people that voted for you.”