Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, reveals how the Lagos State House of Assembly impeachment crisis involving Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and lawmaker Desmond Elliot nearly ended his political career. Read the full inside story.
Introduction
In Nigerian politics, proximity to power is both a privilege and a vulnerability. No one understands this better than Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu. In a stunning disclosure made during an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos on May 14, 2026, Gbajabiamila pulled back the curtain on one of the most dramatic behind-the-scenes crises of the Tinubu presidency — a story involving a legislative coup, a Nollywood-turned-politician, security intelligence reports, and a near-fatal blow to his own career.
The revelation has sent shockwaves across political circles and reignited conversations about loyalty, power, and the high-stakes game of party politics in Lagos State.
Background: The Lagos Assembly Crisis
To understand how Gbajabiamila nearly lost his seat at the highest table in Aso Rock, one must first understand the crisis that triggered it all.
In January 2025, the Lagos State House of Assembly was thrown into turmoil when a faction of lawmakers moved to impeach long-serving Speaker Mudashiru Obasa over allegations of misconduct. The impeachment was briefly executed — Obasa was removed — but it was short-lived. President Tinubu, who has long maintained a firm grip on Lagos politics as its undisputed political godfather, was opposed to the move. With the President’s intervention, Obasa was reinstated, and the legality of the impeachment was subsequently challenged in court and nullified.
On the surface, the crisis appeared resolved. Behind the scenes, however, the fallout was only just beginning — and it would drag one of Nigeria’s most powerful political figures dangerously close to the edge.
Gbajabiamila’s Bombshell: “I Almost Lost My Job”
Speaking candidly before APC stakeholders in Lagos, Gbajabiamila recounted how President Tinubu personally summoned him during the height of the Assembly crisis. The President confronted him with intelligence implicating actor-turned-lawmaker Desmond Elliot — who represents Surulere Constituency 1 in the Lagos Assembly — as one of the key figures allegedly behind the impeachment plot against Obasa.
“He is part of the people causing problems in Lagos Assembly. I am telling you from intelligence that he was part of them,” Gbajabiamila quoted the President as saying. Tinubu then directed Gbajabiamila, who had a long-standing political relationship with Elliot, to call the lawmaker to order immediately.
Gbajabiamila said he acted swiftly, reaching out to Desmond Elliot and issuing a direct warning. “I called Desmond. I said, ‘Desmond, how many ears do you have? I just left the President and this is what he said. If you are one of these people, if you are part of them, get out of there.'” According to him, Elliot responded with excuses and evasion — what Gbajabiamila described as “dribbling me.”
The situation then took a more alarming turn.
The DSS Gets Involved
Three days after his meeting with President Tinubu, Gbajabiamila received a call that no presidential aide wants to receive. The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) contacted him to deliver a chilling message: security reports were now naming Gbajabiamila himself as the powerful force behind Elliot’s alleged push to unseat Obasa.
“Three days later, the Director-General of DSS called me and said, ‘Chief, there is a problem. Your name is everywhere as the person supporting Desmond to push for impeachment,'” he recalled.
This was no longer just a political dispute between Lagos lawmakers. The Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria was now implicated — however unfairly — in a conspiracy against a sitting state speaker whom the President had publicly backed. In Nigeria’s hyper-sensitive political ecosystem, such an allegation, if left unchallenged, could be career-ending.
Gbajabiamila said he again urged Elliot to publicly distance himself from the plot by issuing a clear denial. That statement, he revealed with evident frustration, was never made. “I told Desmond to go and make a public statement that he was not part of them, but till today he has not done that,” he said.
What Saved Gbajabiamila’s Job
So, how did one of Tinubu’s closest allies survive the storm? By his own account, it came down to one thing — personal loyalty and the depth of his relationship with the President.
“If not for the kind of relationship I have with the President today, I probably would not still be here as Chief of Staff,” Gbajabiamila admitted plainly.
It is a telling statement — one that reveals the informal but decisive role of personal trust in the machinery of Nigerian governance. For all the protocols, the intelligence reports, and the political calculations, it was the bond between two men forged over decades of Lagos politics that ultimately determined the outcome.
Desmond Elliot: From Nollywood to the Eye of the Storm
Desmond Elliot’s journey from beloved Nollywood actor to controversial politician has been marked by both admiration and turbulence. First elected to represent Surulere in 2015, Elliot has built a reputation as a community-focused lawmaker. But the Obasa impeachment saga has cast a long shadow over his political standing — and the fact that his mentor, Gbajabiamila, has now publicly withdrawn his support is a significant political blow.
By publicly naming Elliot at a party stakeholders’ forum and distancing himself from the lawmaker, Gbajabiamila has effectively signalled a political divorce — one that could have serious consequences for Elliot’s future in the APC and Lagos politics more broadly.
The Bigger Picture: Loyalty, Intelligence, and the Cost of Political Games
This episode is more than a political soap opera. It speaks to several deeper realities about how power operates in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
1. Intelligence as a political weapon. The swift involvement of the DSS in what was ostensibly a state legislative dispute underscores how deeply the security apparatus is woven into the fabric of Nigerian politics. Intelligence reports — whether accurate or manufactured — can make or break careers.
2. Lagos politics remains Tinubu’s domain. Even from Aso Rock, President Tinubu’s grip on Lagos State politics is iron-tight. The speed with which he reversed Obasa’s impeachment and the subsequent fallout for those alleged to have supported it sends a clear message: Lagos is not a theatre for political freelancing.
3. Proximity to power is precarious. Gbajabiamila’s near-miss is a cautionary tale. Even the most trusted aide — a former Speaker of the House of Representatives with a decades-long relationship with the President — can find himself on the edge of dismissal based on the actions of associates.
4. Silence can be political suicide. Elliot’s failure to issue a public denial, as Gbajabiamila repeatedly requested, was arguably the decision that cost him his most powerful ally. In a political culture where optics and public loyalty signals matter enormously, silence was interpreted as guilt.
Conclusion
Femi Gbajabiamila’s revelation is a rare, unfiltered window into the inner workings of Nigerian presidential politics. It tells a story about trust, betrayal, institutional surveillance, and the delicate art of survival in the corridors of power. The Lagos Assembly impeachment crisis, which many assumed had been quietly buried with Obasa’s reinstatement, has resurfaced with new dimensions — and the political repercussions for Desmond Elliot are only beginning to unfold.
For Gbajabiamila, the episode appears to have strengthened rather than weakened his standing — a man who faced the fire, was tested, and emerged still at his principal’s side. For Elliot, the coming months may prove far more challenging. And for the rest of us watching Nigerian politics, it is yet another reminder that in this arena, today’s ally can become tomorrow’s cautionary tale.
Published: May 15, 2026 | Category: Nigerian Politics | Tags: Femi Gbajabiamila, Obasa Impeachment, Desmond Elliot, Lagos Assembly, APC, Tinubu, Chief of Staff Nigeria
Disclaimer
This blog post is produced for informational and journalistic purposes only. The content is based on publicly available reports, statements made at an open political meeting, and information carried by established Nigerian news outlets as of May 15, 2026.
