Many sins of Desmond Elliot, by Gbajabiamila

Ebun Emmanuel –May 15, 2026

The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said he nearly lost his job to the crisis that happened  in the Lagos House of Assembly during which Mudashiru Obasa was removed as Speaker.

Gbajabiamila states this on Thursday while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, where he spoke about the political controversy involving Surulere lawmaker, Desmond Elliot.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu summoned him to his residence in Abuja during the height of the Assembly leadership crisis and questioned him over allegations that Elliot was among lawmakers allegedly fueling instability in the Assembly.

Gbajabiamila said the President told him intelligence reports had linked Elliot to the anti-Obasa camp and warned that the lawmaker was “causing problems” in the Assembly. He explained that he immediately defended Elliot despite not having spoken with him at the time.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives said he later contacted Elliot and advised him to distance himself publicly from the crisis if he was involved in the dispute. However, he claimed the lawmaker failed to make a clear public statement denying involvement, which worsened suspicions around him and indirectly affected Gbajabiamila.

“Three days later, I was told there was a problem because my name was being mentioned everywhere as supporting Desmond, Gbajabiamila reportedly said.

He added that because of his close relationship with President Tinubu, he was eventually able to survive the political storm.

“If not for the kind of relationship I had with the President, I probably would not be here today,” he said.

The Lagos Assembly crisis, which generated tension within the APC in the state, centered around attempts to remove Obasa as Speaker and install a new leadership.

The controversy exposed divisions within the party and drew the attention of influential political leaders in Lagos.

However, Elliot is currently battling replacement in the Assembly as Gbajabiamila is said to have endorsed another candidate for his seat in the Assembly in the 2027 general elections.