…Says DSS linked him to Lagos Assembly crisis
…Accuses lawmaker of deepening religious division in Surulere
Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that the involvement of Lagos lawmaker, Desmond Elliot, in the impeachment of former Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, almost cost him his position in the Presidency.
Gbajabiamila made the revelation on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives recounted how the political crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2025 generated tension within the ruling party and nearly implicated him before President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that Obasa was impeached in January 2025 by a majority of lawmakers over allegations bordering on gross misconduct and abuse of office while he was reportedly outside the country.
Following his removal, then Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, emerged as the first female Speaker of the Assembly.
However, the political drama deepened after Obasa rejected the impeachment and challenged the process in court upon his return to Nigeria.
After spending 49 days as Speaker, Meranda stepped down, paving the way for Obasa’s reinstatement after intervention from influential leaders within the APC.
A court later nullified the impeachment proceedings and resolutions that led to Obasa’s removal from office.
Speaking at the APC stakeholders’ gathering, Gbajabiamila disclosed that President Tinubu had summoned him to Abuja during the height of the crisis and mentioned Desmond Elliot among those allegedly involved in the impeachment plot.
According to him, he defended Elliot before subsequently reaching out to the Surulere lawmaker for clarification over the allegations.
“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. He is alive today and can confirm it,” Gbajabiamila said.
He explained that after his meeting with the President, he personally contacted Elliot and advised him to distance himself from the impeachment saga if he had any connection with it.
Gbajabiamila further stated that barely three days later, the Director-General of the Department of State Services allegedly informed him that there were reports linking him to the impeachment move through Elliot.
The Presidency, according to him, found it difficult to believe that Elliot could allegedly participate in such a political operation without his knowledge, considering their long-standing political relationship in Surulere.
The Chief of Staff maintained that he again urged Elliot to publicly dissociate himself from the impeachment plot, but the lawmaker allegedly refused to do so.
“If not for the relationship and trust I have built with the President over the years, I probably would not be here today,” Gbajabiamila added.
Beyond the impeachment controversy, the former Speaker also accused Elliot of creating religious tension within Surulere Constituency I.
He alleged that the lawmaker had contributed to divisions between Muslim and Christian supporters in the constituency, thereby worsening political disagreements within the local APC structure.
The comments are believed to be connected to the growing political battle over the Surulere constituency seat ahead of future electoral contests in Lagos State.
Only recently, some APC stakeholders in Surulere accused Gbajabiamila’s political camp of attempting to impose a preferred female aspirant for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat currently occupied by Elliot.
The latest remarks by Gbajabiamila have further exposed the deepening cracks within the Lagos APC, especially among influential political blocs in Surulere.
Political observers believe the public exchange may shape alignments and power negotiations within the ruling party as preparations gradually begin ahead of the 2027 general elections.
