Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has explained his fallout with Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot, saying he almost lost his job during the crisis involving the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Mr Gbajabiamila spoke on Thursday at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu summoned him to Abuja during the political crisis surrounding the removal of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
He said the president confronted him over reports linking Elliot to the move against Speaker Obasa.
“I almost lost my job because of Desmond Elliot last year. You can go and verify,” Gbajabiamila said.
“Mr President called me to his study in Abuja and said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He then said Desmond was among those causing problems in the Lagos State House of Assembly.”
Gbajabiamila said he initially defended Elliot and told the president the lawmaker was not involved.
According to him, President Tinubu insisted intelligence reports linked Elliot to the crisis and directed him to speak with the Surulere Constituency I representative.
The former speaker of the House of Representatives said he later contacted Elliot and warned him to stay away from the matter.
He added that days later, he received another call alleging that his name was being linked to the impeachment plot because of his relationship with Elliot.
Gbajabiamila said he then asked the lawmaker to publicly distance himself from the crisis, but Elliot failed to do so.
“If not for the kind of relationship I have with the President today, I probably would not still be here as Chief of Staff,” he said.
The comments come amid growing political tension in Surulere Constituency I ahead of the 2027 Lagos State House of Assembly election.
Elliot, who is seeking a fourth term, recently appealed to Gbajabiamila for forgiveness over their disagreement.
“Our leader is a compassionate leader. If I have erred in any way, my leader, I am sorry,” the actor-turned-politician had said.
The crisis also comes weeks after former Lagos State special adviser on housing Barakat Odunuga-Bakare presented her nomination forms to Femi Gbajabiamila as part of her bid to replace Elliot in the assembly.
