LAGOS lawmaker and Nollywood actor, Desmond Elliot, has apologised to his political mentor and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over actions that might have strained their relationship during recent political developments in the state.

Speaking on Friday, while featuring on TVC’s Your View, Elliot said any perceived offence was unintentional, stressing that he remained committed to party unity and the development of his constituency.

“To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way,” he pleaded.

Elliot explained that he grew into politics under the guidance of a “senior colleague” he described as his ‘egbon’ (elder), adding that emotions and misunderstandings might have contributed to past friction between them. He noted that human error could not be ruled out in political relationships.

Elliot, who seeks to represent the Surulere Constituency I in the state Assembly for the fourth time, also extended his apology to a woman he described as the “matriarch of Surulere”, saying he regretted any offence caused.

“To the matriarch of Surulere, mama, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” he said.

Despite the apology, he said he remained committed to strengthening the party and fulfilling his responsibilities to constituents.

The apology followed Gbajabiamila’s recent revelation that he nearly lost his job as Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu over allegations surrounding Elliot’s activities in the turmoil that greeted planned removal of the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa in 2025. 

The ICIR reported that Obasa was replaced by the House Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, after majority of members opposed his leadership. He eventually returned as the Speaker after leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) mediated in the crisis.

On Thursday, May 14, this organisation reported that the speaker announced his intention to quit the Assembly after 23 years and contest for a seat in the House of Representatives.

Addressing a forum of APC stakeholders in Lagos on Thursday, Gbajabiamila said Tinubu confronted him over intelligence reports alleging Elliot’s role in the Assembly speakership crisis.

“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. He is alive today; you can verify from him,” Gbajabiamila said.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives explained that Tinubu summoned him to Abuja during the crisis and mentioned Elliot among those allegedly linked to impasse at the Assembly. He said he initially defended the lawmaker before later cautioning him to distance himself from the controversy if he were involved.

According to him, the situation escalated when the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) allegedly informed him of claims that he was backing Elliot in the impeachment move.

The controversy comes amid fresh allegations by some APC stakeholders in Surulere, who recently accused Gbajabiamila of attempting to impose a preferred female candidate for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat.

In January 2025, Mudashiru Obasa was impeached as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly after lawmakers accused him of gross misconduct and abuse of office.Obasa was removed while outside the country, paving the way for then-Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda to emerge as the first female Speaker of the Assembly.

However, upon his return, Obasa rejected the impeachment and challenged the process in court. After 49 days in office, Meranda stepped down, while Obasa was reinstated following reported intervention by Tinubu.

Nanji Nandang VENLEY

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Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.