Lagos State lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, has apologised to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, over his conduct during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in May.
In a video circulating on social media, Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, was seen kneeling before Gbajabiamila and pleading for forgiveness.
Speaking during the encounter, Elliot said he had no excuse for his actions and expressed regret over the disagreement between them.
“I don’t have any excuse. I have nothing to say other than that I am deeply sorry, sir. In our culture, we prostrate,” he said.
The disagreement between the two politicians was linked to Elliot’s role in the 2025 leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, which culminated in the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as speaker.
In May, Gbajabiamila disclosed that Elliot’s participation in the move against Obasa had almost cost the lawmaker his political career.
Obasa was removed by a majority of lawmakers who accused him of gross misconduct and abuse of office. His deputy at the time, Mojisola Meranda, subsequently emerged as speaker, becoming the first woman to occupy the position.
Meranda, however, resigned after 49 days in office, paving the way for Obasa’s return following intervention by President Tinubu.
Elliot subsequently apologised to Gbajabiamila, explaining that he had believed the move to remove Obasa had the backing of the President.
The episode reportedly strained relations between Elliot and Gbajabiamila, who later threw his support behind Odunuga-Bakare as his preferred candidate to succeed Elliot in the Lagos Assembly.
Elliot, who was seeking a fourth term in the House, went ahead with his candidacy despite Gbajabiamila’s opposition but eventually lost the APC primary.
Following the outcome, the lawmaker rejected the result, alleging that his supporters were intimidated and prevented from fully participating in the exercise.
His latest apology appears to signal an attempt to mend ties with the former Speaker of the House of Representatives following the political dispute that preceded the primary election.
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