Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that he almost lost his job last year following allegations involving actor-turned-politician Desmond Elliot during the political turmoil that shook the Lagos State House of Assembly over the speakership struggle linked to Mudashiru Obasa.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Gbajabiamila recounted how President Tinubu invited him to his residence in Abuja at the peak of the impeachment controversy surrounding Obasa.
READ MORE: NUT rejects FG proposal to waive UTME requirement for NCE candidates
According to him, the President questioned him over intelligence reports that implicated Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos Assembly, in alleged moves to destabilise the legislature.
“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. Mr. President called me to his house in Abuja during the Lagos Speaker Obasa saga. He said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He is one of the people causing problems in the Lagos House of Assembly,” Gbajabiamila said.
He explained that he immediately moved to defend Elliot against the claims.
“Right away I told Mr. President, no, no, no. Desmond is not part of them.
“I had not even spoken to him. I didn’t know if he was involved. I said, no, he’s not part of them.”
Gbajabiamila added that Tinubu insisted he had security intelligence suggesting otherwise and directed him to caution the lawmaker.
“The President told me, ‘I’m telling you from intelligence that he is part of them. Go and tell him to retrace his steps.’ I said, yes, sir,” he noted.
He said he subsequently reached out to Elliot to brief him on the situation.
“I called him and told him exactly what the President said.
“If you are among them, if you are involved, step away from it.”
He also disclosed that the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) later contacted him over the matter.
“Three days later, the DSS Director-General called me and said there’s a problem. Your name is being mentioned everywhere.
“They said you are the one behind it, supporting Desmond in this matter. Of course, the President will not believe that Desmond would do such a thing without context.
“I told the DSS I would have to speak with Desmond.”
Gbajabiamila said he again reached out to Elliot and urged him to clear his name by issuing a public statement, which he claimed has not yet been done.
The crisis erupted on January 13, 2025, when a majority of members of the Lagos State House of Assembly impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa while he was on vacation in the United States.
Lawmakers accused him of gross misconduct, abuse of office, high-handedness, poor leadership, lateness to plenary sessions, and alleged financial mismanagement.
His deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was subsequently elected as Speaker, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Obasa rejected the impeachment, describing it as unconstitutional and procedurally flawed.
The development triggered weeks of political tension, court battles, competing leadership claims, and interventions by top figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency.
The crisis was later resolved after Meranda stepped down, allowing Obasa to return as Speaker.
The episode comes amid renewed opposition to Elliot’s reported bid for a fourth term in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
About The Author
