Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and current Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that he nearly lost his position during the political turmoil that engulfed the Lagos State House of Assembly over the impeachment of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
Speaking in a viral video circulating online on Thursday, Gbajabiamila said President Bola Tinubu personally summoned him to Abuja at the peak of the crisis and questioned him over reports allegedly linking actor-turned-lawmaker Desmond Elliot to attempts to destabilise the Lagos Assembly.
According to Gbajabiamila, Tinubu told him intelligence reports indicated that Elliot, whom he described as “his boy,” was among those fueling the conflict within the Assembly.
The Chief of Staff said he immediately defended the lawmaker, insisting he had no knowledge of Elliot being involved in the political plot. However, Tinubu reportedly maintained that security intelligence pointed to Elliot’s participation and instructed Gbajabiamila to warn him to withdraw from any such activities.
Gbajabiamila explained that he subsequently contacted Elliot and relayed the President’s concerns, advising him to stay away from anything connected to the crisis if he was truly involved.
He further disclosed that a few days later, the Director-General of the Department of State Services allegedly reached out to him, claiming his own name was also being linked to the Assembly unrest because of his relationship with Elliot.
According to him, the situation became more delicate because many believed Elliot could not have acted without his knowledge or support. Gbajabiamila said he again reached out to the lawmaker and urged him to publicly clear the air, although he claimed Elliot never issued any statement denying the allegations.
The Lagos Assembly crisis began on January 13, 2025, after lawmakers impeached Obasa while he was reportedly away in the United States. The legislators accused him of misconduct, abuse of office, poor leadership style, financial mismanagement, and other allegations.
Following the impeachment, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda was elected Speaker, becoming the first woman to lead the Assembly.
Obasa, however, rejected the impeachment, insisting due process was ignored. The development triggered weeks of political tension, legal disputes, and interventions from leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress before the crisis was eventually resolved with Meranda’s resignation and Obasa’s return as Speaker.