By Sandra Kenneth
In a dramatic bid to repair fractured political ties, actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot has publicly prostrated and apologized to Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, following fallouts from the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections and leadership friction within the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I made the passionate plea during a reconciliation meeting attended by key party chieftains and captured in a video circulating online.
Seeking to make amends with his political mentor, Elliot got down on his knees and prostrated in traditional Yoruba fashion before the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“I’m sorry. I have no excuse; I have nothing other than to say I’m deeply sorry, sir,” Elliot said during the meeting. “In our culture, we prostrate. Don’t be angry, Daddy.” Gbajabiamila subsequently acknowledged the gesture and asked him to rise.
Acknowledging that he may have been misguided during the APC primaries, the lawmaker pledged to renew his allegiance to the party’s leadership, reaffirming his commitment to party unity and constituency development.
“To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way,” Elliot stated, adding that he considers Gbajabiamila his senior and mentor who taught him everything he knows about politics.
The public reconciliation comes on the heels of heightened political tensions surrounding the speakership contest in the Lagos State Assembly. Gbajabiamila had previously disclosed facing scrutiny at the Presidency after intelligence reports submitted to President Bola Tinubu alleged Elliot’s involvement in moves linked to the Assembly’s leadership tussle—allegations Gbajabiamila had denied.
This latest in-person appeal follows an earlier apology Elliot offered on TVC’s Your View, signaling a final effort to resolve lingering grievances and restore stability within the ruling party’s Lagos chapter.
