Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed a tense episode where he came close to losing his position due to the actions of Lagos State lawmaker Desmond Elliot. The incident unfolded during the controversy surrounding the impeachment of Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
Gbajabiamila shared this story while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress. He explained that President Tinubu summoned him to his residence in Abuja and expressed concern that Elliot was among those causing unrest in the Lagos Assembly. Despite Gbajabiamila’s attempts to defend Elliot, the president insisted that intelligence reports indicated otherwise.
Following the meeting, Gbajabiamila contacted Elliot and urged him to distance himself from the group if he was involved. However, three days later, the Director General of the Department of State Services informed Gbajabiamila that his name was being linked to the impeachment saga and that he was allegedly backing Elliot.
Gbajabiamila recounted that he pleaded with Elliot to issue a public denial of his involvement, but the lawmaker never did. This unresolved issue nearly cost Gbajabiamila his job, as the president held him accountable for his association with Elliot. Ultimately, the Speaker was reinstated after President Tinubu intervened, restoring order in the Assembly.