“I’m sorry, my daddy”, Desmond Elliot apologies to Gbajabiamila, denies role in Obasa impeachment saga
The lawmaker representing Surulere constituency 1 in the Lagos house of assembly, Desmond Elliot, has apologised to Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, over allegations linking him to the failed impeachment of Mudashiru Obasa as speaker of the assembly.
The apology followed remarks by Gbajabiamila on Thursday, where he revealed that the Lagos assembly leadership crisis nearly cost him his position as chief of staff.
In January 2025, Obasa was removed as speaker after a majority of lawmakers accused him of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
The impeachment happened while Obasa was outside the country, leading to the emergence of Mojisola Meranda as the first female speaker of the Lagos assembly.
After returning to Nigeria, Obasa rejected his removal and challenged the decision in court. Following reported intervention by President Tinubu, Meranda resigned after 49 days in office, paving the way for Obasa’s reinstatement.
A court later nullified the proceedings that led to Obasa’s impeachment.
Speaking on TVC’s “Let’s Talk” programme on Friday, Elliot described Gbajabiamila as his political mentor and expressed regret over any offence he may have caused.
“I know media will come out and say eh, Desmond begs again. Yes, because he’s my egbon, and I grew up learning everything I know in politics through him,” Elliot said.
“He might be upset for something or whatever it was. I’m human, and to err is human, to forgive is divine.
“So, I’m sorry, my daddy, if I have offended you in any way. The matriarch of Surulere, mama, I’m sorry if I have offended you, but I will keep keeping the party strong.”
Elliot also denied claims that he masterminded the failed impeachment, insisting that he was in South Africa at the time for his wife’s younger sister’s wedding.
“Firstly, I was very shocked when I saw the video. I was actually beyond shocked,” he said.
“So, I was in South Africa when that happened, and you do know sometimes coups happen, and you don’t have to be present, so I knew nothing about it at all.
“Only for me to come back, and what we heard at that period was that it came from the presidency. You know, and quite naturally, I followed the bandwagon.”
The lawmaker said he found the allegations surprising and maintained that he would not speak negatively about anyone he had worked with for over a decade.
“I don’t think it would be proper of me to either speak negatively or ill of someone I’ve served diligently for 11 years,” he added.
“I wasn’t the mastermind of it.”