Desmond Elliot has publicly apologised to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over any offence he may have caused during recent political events linked to the Lagos State House of Assembly crisis.
Elliot made the apology during an appearance on TVC’s Your View on Friday, insisting that any misunderstanding between them was never intentional while reaffirming his loyalty to the ruling party and commitment to serving Surulere constituents.
The apology comes amid lingering tensions following the Lagos Assembly leadership crisis, during which Gbajabiamila revealed that he nearly lost his position in the Presidency over allegations linking Elliot to the controversy surrounding the Assembly speakership dispute.
Gbajabiamila had earlier disclosed that President Bola Tinubu confronted him with intelligence reports allegedly connecting Elliot to moves against Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa — allegations the presidential aide denied at the time.
Speaking during the programme, Elliot described Gbajabiamila as both his political mentor and elder brother, saying he learned the foundations of politics under him.
“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.
The lawmaker acknowledged that disagreements are sometimes unavoidable in politics and appealed for forgiveness.
“To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way,” he added.
Elliot also extended an apology to whom he described as the “matriarch of Surulere.”
“To the matriarch of Surulere, mama, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” he said.
Despite the controversy, Elliot maintained that his focus remains on strengthening the All Progressives Congress and delivering results for residents of Surulere.
“But I will keep keeping the party strong. And to all Surulerians, my scorecard is there. You know the things I’ve done to make Surulere a better place,” he stated.
The Lagos Assembly leadership crisis, which created tension within the APC, was eventually resolved following interventions from senior party leaders.
