Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has disclosed that he nearly lost his position during the political crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly over the speakership tussle involving former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
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Speaking at a constituency stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos on Thursday, Gbajabiamila revealed that President Bola Tinubu personally intervened in the matter after allegations surfaced linking actor-turned-lawmaker Desmond Elliot to attempts to destabilise the House.
“I almost lost my job because of Desmond Elliot last year. You can go and verify,” Gbajabiamila told the gathering. “The President invited me to his residence in Abuja during the Obasa saga and confronted me over reports linking Elliot to the crisis.”
According to Gbajabiamila, President Tinubu directly questioned him about Elliot’s alleged involvement. “Mr President called me to his study in Abuja and said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He then said Desmond was among those causing problems in the Lagos State House of Assembly,” he recounted.
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The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said he defended Elliot, insisting the Surulere lawmaker was not part of the group working against the Assembly leadership. However, Tinubu insisted that he call Elliot to order.
“I told the President that Desmond was not part of them, but the President insisted and told me to call him to order,” Gbajabiamila added.
He revealed that he immediately contacted Elliot after the meeting and warned him to steer clear of the crisis. “Three days later, the Director-General called me and said there was a serious issue, that my name was everywhere as the person supporting Desmond to push for impeachment,” he said.
Gbajabiamila claimed he instructed Elliot to publicly distance himself from the alleged plot, but said the lawmaker never issued such a statement. “I told Desmond to go and make a public statement that he was not part of them, but till today he has not done that,” he stated.
He credited his long-standing relationship with President Tinubu for saving his position. “If not for the kind of relationship I have with the President today, I probably would not still be here as Chief of Staff,” Gbajabiamila said.
The revelation comes amid reports that Gbajabiamila is now backing Barakat Odunuga-Bakare against Elliot, who is seeking re-election to the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the APC.
Obasa was impeached in January 2024 over allegations of financial misconduct before being reinstated later that year — a saga that exposed deep divisions within the Lagos APC.
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DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Adeyemi S. (Beedee)
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