Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot has publicly apologised to his political mentor and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, saying he may have offended him during the course of his political engagements.
Elliot made the apology during an appearance on TVC’s “Your View” programme on Friday, where he stated that any misunderstanding between them was unintentional and reaffirmed his commitment to party unity and development in his constituency.
The apology follows earlier political tensions connected to the Lagos State House of Assembly leadership crisis, during which Gbajabiamila disclosed that he nearly lost his position at the Presidency over allegations linked to Elliot’s political activities.
Gbajabiamila had claimed that President Bola Tinubu confronted him over intelligence reports suggesting Elliot’s involvement in moves to impeach Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, an allegation he denied at the time.
Speaking during the programme, Elliot said he entered politics under the guidance of Gbajabiamila, whom he described as his “egbon,” noting that emotions and misunderstandings may have contributed to their differences.
“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.
He added that mistakes were inevitable in political relationships.
“To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way,” he said.
Elliot also apologised to whom he described as the “matriarch of Surulere,” expressing regret over any offence caused.
“To the matriarch of Surulere, mama, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” he said.
Despite the apology, the lawmaker maintained that he remained focused on strengthening the party and delivering on his mandate to constituents.
“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 added.