Ranti Thomas
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that he nearly lost his position during the Lagos Assembly crisis because of alleged links between him and actor-turned-lawmaker Desmond Elliot.
Gbajabiamila made the revelation while speaking at a political stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, where he addressed the controversy surrounding the impeachment battle involving former Lagos Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu personally summoned him to Abuja during the height of the crisis and questioned him over intelligence reports allegedly linking Desmond Elliott to moves aimed at destabilising the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Gbajabiamila said the President directly asked him whether Elliott was “his boy” and accused the Surulere lawmaker of being among those involved in the Assembly crisis.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives explained that he immediately defended Elliott and insisted he was not involved in any plan against Obasa.
He disclosed that after the meeting with Tinubu, he contacted Elliott and warned him to stay away from the political battle if he had any connection to it.
Gbajabiamila further claimed that the Director-General of the Department of State Services later contacted him, saying his own name was being repeatedly mentioned in connection with the Assembly crisis because of his relationship with Elliott.
According to him, the situation became so serious that he feared it could affect his position as Chief of Staff to the President.
He also alleged that he advised Elliott to publicly distance himself from the impeachment controversy but claimed the lawmaker never issued any statement denying involvement.
The revelation has now reopened conversations around the political crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly after lawmakers removed Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker before he was later reinstated following intervention from top APC leaders.
The development also comes at a tense political moment for Desmond Elliott, who is currently facing growing opposition within Surulere APC ahead of the next Lagos Assembly primaries.