Dare Babalola
Femi Gbajabiamila has revealed that he nearly lost his position as Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over allegations linking Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot to the leadership crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly during the speakership dispute involving Mudashiru Obasa.
Gbajabiamila made the disclosure in a video that surfaced online on Thursday, where he recounted how President Tinubu summoned him to his Abuja residence at the peak of the political turmoil surrounding Obasa’s impeachment in 2025.
According to the Chief of Staff, the President confronted him over intelligence reports alleging that Elliot, whom Tinubu reportedly described as Gbajabiamila’s loyalist, was among those fueling the crisis within the Lagos Assembly.
“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot,” Gbajabiamila said in the viral video.
He recalled Tinubu telling him: “I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,” before accusing the lawmaker of being involved in efforts to destabilise the Assembly.
Gbajabiamila said he immediately defended Elliot, insisting he had no knowledge of the actor-turned-politician’s alleged involvement in the crisis.
“I told Mr. President that Desmond was not part of them. I had not even spoken to him and did not know whether he was involved,” he stated.
However, Gbajabiamila said Tinubu maintained that intelligence reports indicated otherwise and instructed him to warn Elliot to distance himself from the controversy.
According to him, he subsequently contacted the Surulere Constituency I representative and relayed the President’s message.
“If you are one of these people or part of them, get out of there,” he quoted himself as telling Elliot.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives further disclosed that the Director-General of the Department of State Services also reached out to him days later, alleging that both his name and Elliot’s had been repeatedly mentioned in connection with the Assembly crisis.
“Three days later, the DSS Director-General called me and said there was a problem and that my name was being mentioned everywhere as someone backing Desmond in the matter,” he said.
Gbajabiamila added that he again reached out to Elliot and advised him to publicly clear the air over the allegations, though he claimed the lawmaker never issued any statement denying involvement.
The political crisis in the Lagos Assembly began on January 13, 2025, after a majority of lawmakers impeached Obasa while he was reportedly away in the United States.
The legislators accused the Speaker of gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial mismanagement, poor leadership style and habitual lateness to legislative sittings.
Following the impeachment, his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was elected Speaker, becoming the first woman to occupy the position in the state’s history.
Obasa, however, rejected the impeachment, insisting that due process was not followed. The development triggered weeks of political tension, legal battles and interventions from leaders of the All Progressives Congress before the crisis was eventually resolved with Meranda’s resignation and Obasa’s reinstatement.
