Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has disclosed that he almost lost his job following political tensions linked to the Lagos State House of Assembly leadership crisis involving lawmaker Desmond Elliot.
Gbajabiamila said the situation unfolded during the impeachment attempt against former Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, a development that triggered internal divisions within the House.
He explained that President Bola Tinubu summoned him to Abuja amid the crisis to clarify allegations surrounding his alleged involvement and his connection to Desmond Elliot.
According to him, the President questioned him about Elliot’s role in the unfolding political tension and expressed concerns based on intelligence reports.
Gbajabiamila recounted that he immediately denied any wrongdoing and attempted to clarify that Elliot was not part of any faction pushing for the impeachment.
He said: “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 added that Tinubu told him: “I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,” to which he responded by distancing Elliot from the crisis and describing him as one of the lawmakers allegedly linked to the dispute.
Gbajabiamila further stated that after the meeting, he contacted Desmond Elliot to inform him of the President’s concerns and advised him to step away from any group involved in the controversy.
He also revealed that the situation escalated when the Department of State Services (DSS) got involved, with his name reportedly being mentioned in relation to the impeachment plot.
Despite efforts to clarify the situation, Gbajabiamila said the matter lingered, and he had urged Elliot to publicly deny involvement in the saga, a statement he said has not yet been made.
