Desmond Elliot Apologizes to Gbajabiamila Amid Backlash

Desmond Elliot publicly apologized to Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, over his conduct during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Surulere Constituency I. In a video that surfaced on social media, Elliot expressed his remorse, saying, “I’m deeply sorry, sir,” and asked Gbajabiamila not to be angry.

This gesture sparked significant criticism online, with many questioning why a serving lawmaker would kneel before a senior politician. Elliot had previously withdrawn from the May primary, alleging intimidation and political pressure against his supporters, and he rejected the outcome, stating he would challenge it through the party's internal appeal mechanism.

Barakat Odunuga-Bakare won the primary with 11,385 votes, while Elliot received only 270 votes. The incident followed a prior crisis involving the Lagos Assembly leadership, where Gbajabiamila indicated that Elliot's actions had nearly jeopardized his position as Chief of Staff.