Desmond Elliott’s Name Nearly Cost Me Tinubu Appointment — Gbajabiamila
By Wellington Jopelo
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has opened up on how his political relationship with actor and Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliott almost created serious problems for him during the Lagos Assembly crisis.
Gbajabiamila disclosed that tensions became so intense at the peak of the leadership battle in the Lagos State House of Assembly that he feared it could affect his position in Tinubu’s government.
Speaking during a political gathering in Lagos, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives said President Tinubu personally questioned him over reports linking Desmond Elliott to the controversial move against former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
According to him, the President directly asked whether Elliott was politically connected to him and whether he had any role in the Assembly crisis that shook Lagos politics earlier this year.
Gbajabiamila explained that he immediately denied involvement and defended the Surulere lawmaker, insisting that Elliott was not acting on his behalf.
He said the situation became more troubling after security reports allegedly continued mentioning his name because of his long political relationship with the actor-turned-politician.
The Chief of Staff also revealed that he later contacted Elliott privately and advised him to stay away from the controversy if he was truly not involved.
According to him, he expected the lawmaker to publicly distance himself from the political battle to reduce the tension surrounding the matter.
The revelation has now revived discussions about the dramatic crisis that led to the temporary removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker before intervention from APC leaders restored calm within the Assembly.
Political observers say the latest disclosure shows how deeply the Lagos Assembly crisis affected top political figures behind the scenes.
The development is also coming at a sensitive time for Desmond Elliott, who is already battling growing political resistance within Surulere ahead of the next Lagos Assembly primaries.
With internal APC tensions rising in Lagos, many party members now believe the fallout from the Assembly crisis may continue influencing political calculations long before the 2027 elections arrive.