Lawmaker pleads for reintegration into Lagos APC fold after losing Surulere ticket

Desmond Elliot, the Lagos State lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I, knelt before Femi Gbajabiamila on Sunday, publicly apologising for his actions during the May APC primary and pleading for reintegration into the party’s Lagos fold.

The dramatic gesture came during a meeting with Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, and other party chieftains. In a video widely shared online, Elliot was seen going down on his knees and prostrating before the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, seeking reconciliation with the APC leadership in Lagos.

“I’m sorry. I have no excuse; I have nothing other than to say I’m deeply sorry. I’m deeply sorry, sir. And in our culture, we prostrate. Don’t be angry, Daddy,” Elliot said during the meeting. Gbajabiamila subsequently asked him to stand up.

The apology followed a bitter dispute over the APC primary for Surulere Constituency I, held on May 20. Elliot withdrew from the exercise, alleging intimidation and political pressure against his supporters, and later rejected the outcome.

He eventually lost the ticket to Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who was widely believed to have Gbajabiamila’s backing. Odunuga-Bakare polled 11,385 votes to Elliot’s 270.

Elliot had earlier apologised during an appearance on TVC’s “Your View” programme, describing Gbajabiamila as his “egbon” — an elder brother figure — and crediting him as the person through whom he learned politics. “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 stated.

The political fallout stemmed from the Lagos State House of Assembly leadership crisis, during which Gbajabiamila disclosed that he nearly lost his position at the Presidency due to allegations connecting Elliot to efforts aimed at removing Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

Elliot also addressed speculation about his political allegiance ahead of the 2027 general elections, denying any collaboration with former President Olusegun Obasanjo or Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde against President Tinubu or the APC.

He pledged to renew his loyalty to the party’s leadership, particularly the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the apex leadership body of the APC in Lagos. “To the matriarch of Surulere, mama, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” Elliot added. “But I will keep the party strong. And to all Surulerians, my scorecard is there. You know the things I’ve done to make Surulere a better place”.