Lagos State lawmaker Desmond Elliot has publicly apologised to President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, in a fresh attempt to mend their political relationship after months of tension within the Lagos APC.
A video circulating on social media shows Elliot kneeling before Gbajabiamila and asking for forgiveness. He also indicated that he wants to rebuild his relationship with the APC leadership in Lagos.
The development comes months after Elliot lost the APC ticket for Surulere Constituency I in a highly contentious primary election.
In May, Elliot challenged aspects of the primary process and accused party officials of intimidating or excluding some of his supporters. He later said he would appeal the outcome.
From primary dispute to apology
The APC primary on 20 May produced a decisive result.
Barakat Odunuga-Bakare defeated Elliot with 11,385 votes against his 270, according to results reported by several Nigerian news organisations. Odunuga-Bakare was widely reported to have the backing of Gbajabiamila.
Elliot had initially announced his withdrawal from the primary, citing alleged intimidation and the exclusion of his supporters from the voting process.
He subsequently clarified that he had withdrawn his agents because of alleged intimidation and intended to challenge the process through the party’s internal appeal mechanism.
At the time, Elliot had insisted that he would not voluntarily step aside for another aspirant and said the people should decide his political future.
The latest apology therefore marks a significant change in tone.
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‘I have no excuse’
In the video, Elliot expressed regret over his conduct and appealed directly to Gbajabiamila.
“I am sorry, I have no excuse, I have nothing other than to say I am really sorry. Please forgive me, sir.”
He also acknowledged that his judgement had been wrong during the political dispute and accepted the outcome of the contest in Surulere.
The account accompanying the video said Elliot pledged to renew his loyalty to the leadership of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos and sought reintegration into the APC’s political structure in the state.
Another report of the encounter captured Elliot saying: “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.”
Gbajabiamila responded by asking Elliot to get up before embracing him.
The reported embrace suggests a move towards reconciliation, although neither the APC Lagos leadership nor Gbajabiamila has publicly announced any formal political arrangement arising from the meeting.
Why the apology matters
The dispute goes beyond a personal disagreement.
Gbajabiamila remains an influential political figure in Surulere, while Elliot has represented Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly since 2015. His defeat in the 2026 APC primary ended his bid for a fourth consecutive term under the party’s ticket.
The political relationship between the two men had already come under strain before the primary.
In May, Gbajabiamila said Elliot’s alleged involvement in the 2025 Lagos Assembly leadership crisis had nearly cost him his position as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff. Elliot subsequently apologised to him during a TV interview and denied deliberately offending his political mentor.
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The latest gesture is therefore a second major attempt by Elliot to repair the relationship.
It also comes as political actors across Lagos position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, making party alliances and relationships increasingly important.
What remains unclear
The apology does not, by itself, restore Elliot’s lost APC ticket.
Odunuga-Bakare emerged from the Surulere primary as the APC candidate, while Elliot’s earlier challenge to the conduct of the exercise did not change the reported outcome.
It is also unclear whether Elliot’s renewed appeal to the party leadership will translate into a new political role, an endorsement for another contest or simply reconciliation within the party.
For now, the clearest development is political rather than electoral: Elliot has publicly accepted responsibility for his actions, appealed for forgiveness and signalled his willingness to close ranks with the Lagos APC leadership.
The next test will be whether that reconciliation leads to a sustained political relationship and what role, if any, Elliot will play within the party ahead of 2027.
