“Tinubu Nearly Sacked Me Over Desmond Elliot” – Femi Gbajabiamila

 

Femi Gbajabiamila (left) and Desmond Elliot

The Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that he almost lost his job during the political crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly over the impeachment of Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.

Gbajabiamila made the disclosure in a video circulating on social media in which he recounted how President Tinubu summoned him to his Abuja residence at the height of the leadership crisis in the Lagos Assembly.

According to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President confronted him over allegations linking actor-turned-lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, to moves allegedly aimed at destabilizing the Assembly.

“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot,” Gbajabiamila said.

He said Tinubu asked him, “I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,” to which he responded affirmatively before the President allegedly accused the lawmaker of being involved in efforts fuelling the crisis.

Gbajabiamila said he immediately defended Elliot, insisting he was not aware of any involvement by the Surulere Constituency I representative in the controversy.

“I told Mr President, no, no, no. Desmond is not part of them. I haven’t even spoken to him. I didn’t know whether he was part of that,” he said.

However, he said the President insisted that intelligence reports had implicated Elliot and directed that he be warned to “retrace his steps.”

The Chief of Staff said he subsequently contacted Elliot and conveyed the President’s concerns, advising him to distance himself from any activities connected to the crisis if he was involved.

Gbajabiamila further disclosed that the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) later contacted him, saying his name and Elliot’s were repeatedly mentioned in connection with the Assembly turmoil.

“Three days later, the Director General of DSS called me and said there’s a problem. Your name is being mentioned all over the place,” he said.

According to him, the DSS chief alleged that he was backing Elliot in the political dispute, an allegation he denied.

He added that he again reached out to Elliot and advised him to publicly clarify his position but said the lawmaker had yet to issue any statement.

The Lagos Assembly crisis began on January 13, 2025, after a majority of lawmakers impeached Obasa while he was reportedly in the United States.

The lawmakers accused him of gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial mismanagement, poor leadership style and lateness to legislative sittings.

Following his removal, his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, emerged as the first female Speaker of the Assembly.

Obasa, however, rejected the impeachment, describing it as unconstitutional and insisting that due process was not followed.

The dispute triggered weeks of political tension, legal battles and interventions by leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before it was eventually resolved with Meranda’s resignation and Obasa’s reinstatement as Speaker.

The revelation comes amid renewed political tension surrounding Elliot’s reported bid for a fourth term in the Lagos State House of Assembly.