’I’M DEEPLY SORRY SIR’
By Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, Sept 14, 2026
SURULERE, Lagos – Former actor turned politician Desmond Elliot went down on his knees and prostrated in a dramatic public apology to the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The 52-year-old former Lagos State House of Assembly member begged for forgiveness following a bitter fallout over “ill-thought” moves during the last All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Surulere, Lagos.
Elliot threw himself to the ground in a traditional show of remorse, pleading for a second chance to be welcomed back into the political fold.
”I’m sorry, I have no excuse, I have nothing other than to say I’m deeply sorry, sir, and I’m hoping. In our culture we prostrate. Emabinu daddy, emabinu sir,” Elliot pleaded.
Admitting his political judgment had completely misled him, Elliot stated he accepted the verdict of the local electorate and pledged his renewed loyalty to the party’s ruling body, the Governance Advisory Council (GAC).
Gbajabiamila accepted the apology, granting his former ally an audience before pulling him into a warm embrace to signal an end to the feud.
The Nollywood Shift: Desmond Elliot rose to fame as one of Nollywood’s premier leading men before transitioning into politics in 2015, winning a seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Surulere Constituency I under the APC.
The Political Mentor: Femi Gbajabiamila, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and current Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, long served as a dominant political heavyweight in the Surulere region, acting as a mentor figure to local party figures like Elliot.
Cultural Significance: Prostration (“Dobale”) and kneeling are deeply rooted Yoruba traditions used to show maximum respect, humility, and complete surrender when seeking forgiveness from elders or leaders.
The Primaries Fallout: Friction erupted during the last APC primary election cycle when political missteps and internal rivalries fractured their longstanding political relationship, leading to Elliot’s eventual exclusion from the party’s core favor.
