Actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot has publicly apologised to his political mentor and chief of staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, saying he may have offended him during political engagements.
Elliot made the apology on TVC’s Your View on Friday, stressing that any misunderstanding between them was unintentional and that he remained committed to strengthening the All Progressives Congress (APC) and serving his constituency.
The apology comes months after tensions linked to the leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly, during which Gbajabiamila disclosed that he nearly lost his position at the Presidency over allegations connected to Elliot’s political activities.
Gbajabiamila had said President Bola Tinubu confronted him with intelligence reports alleging Elliot’s involvement in moves surrounding the Assembly speakership tussle, an allegation the lawmaker denied.
Speaking on the programme, Elliot said he learnt politics under Gbajabiamila, whom he described as his “egbon”, adding that emotions and misunderstandings may have caused friction between them.
“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 could happen 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 who 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 apology, the lawmaker insisted he remained focused on strengthening the party and delivering on his mandate.
“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.
This is not the first time Elliot has publicly apologised to Gbajabiamila. Last month, he also appealed for forgiveness amid reports of disagreements tied to political developments in Surulere and the Assembly leadership crisis.
The lawmaker is currently seeking a fourth term as representative of Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly. Explaining his decision recently, Elliot said another term would give him ranking status in the Assembly, which he believes would help attract more projects and influence to the constituency.
His ambition has, however, faced opposition within the constituency, with several stakeholders and groups backing former Lagos State special adviser on housing Barakat Odunuga-Bakare for the seat.
Odunuga-Bakare, who resigned from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s cabinet to contest the seat, is believed to enjoy the support of Gbajabiamila and other influential APC leaders in Surulere.
