By Lagos State lawmaker and actor Desmond Elliot has once again apologised to Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila over his conduct during the last All Progressives Congress primary election, this time prostrating before him during a face-to-face meeting.
A Public Show of Contrition
During a gathering with Gbajabiamila and several party chieftains, Elliot went down on his knees and prostrated before the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, seeking to mend fences with the APC leadership in Lagos. Footage of the moment, shared by Lagos Junction on X on Sunday, captured Elliot expressing regret over actions he admitted may have been misguided during the primary.
The lawmaker, who represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, used the occasion to pledge renewed loyalty to the party’s leadership.
“I’m sorry. I have no excuse; I have nothing other than to say I’m deeply sorry. I’m deeply sorry, sir. And in our culture, we prostrate. Don’t be angry, Daddy,” Elliot said, prompting Gbajabiamila to ask him to rise.
Not the First Apology
This marks the second time Elliot has publicly apologised to Gbajabiamila. He had previously offered an apology during an appearance on TVC’s Your View, where he acknowledged that he may have offended his political mentor through his political activities.
Elliot stressed that any friction between the two was never intentional and reaffirmed his commitment to party unity and to developing his constituency. “I’m not saying, oh, yes, media will come out, oh yes, Desmond begs again. Yes, because he’s my egbon. And I grew up learning everything I knew in politics through him,” he said, adding, “To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way.”
The Backdrop: A Leadership Crisis
The renewed apology comes against the backdrop of tension surrounding a leadership crisis within the Lagos State House of Assembly, during which Gbajabiamila revealed he had come under pressure at the Presidency over allegations tied to Elliot’s political activities. According to Gbajabiamila, President Bola Tinubu had confronted him over intelligence reports alleging Elliot’s involvement in maneuvering around the Assembly’s speakership tussle, an allegation Gbajabiamila denied at the time.
That crisis, rooted in internal disagreements within the APC, was eventually resolved following interventions from senior party leaders, setting the stage for the reconciliation effort now playing out between Elliot and Gbajabiamila.
