Lagos State lawmaker Desmond Elliot has apologised to President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, following the political fallout that trailed the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Surulere Constituency I in Lagos.
Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, was seen kneeling before Gbajabiamila in a video circulating on social media.
The actor-turned-politician sought forgiveness over his actions during the party’s primary and appealed for reconciliation with the APC leadership in Lagos.
The development comes months after Elliot publicly rejected the circumstances surrounding the May primary, which ended his bid to retain the APC ticket for the constituency. He had withdrawn from the exercise after alleging intimidation and political pressure against his supporters, before subsequently challenging the outcome and indicating that he would pursue the matter through the party’s appeal process.
During his apology to Gbajabiamila, Elliot acknowledged his actions.
“I’m sorry, I have no excuse. I have nothing other than to say I’m deeply sorry, and I am hoping to be cultured in the future,” he said.
His latest move represents a significant shift from the position he took immediately after the contentious primary. At the time, the lawmaker openly disputed the process and sought redress within the APC, placing him at odds with influential figures in the party.
Barakat Odunuga-Bakare eventually emerged as the APC candidate for Surulere Constituency I.
She polled 11,385 votes in the primary, while Elliot recorded 270 votes, according to the figures provided after the exercise.
Odunuga-Bakare was believed to have enjoyed the support of Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives who represented Surulere at the federal level for several years before becoming Tinubu’s Chief of Staff.
The contest was particularly significant for Elliot because of his long political association with Surulere. After building a successful career in Nigeria’s film industry, he entered elective politics and has represented Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos legislature.
His disagreement with the APC leadership following the primary therefore marked a notable moment in his political career, particularly as the party prepared candidates ahead of the next election cycle.
