Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has revealed that his career nearly ended last year due to a leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly. Speaking at an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2024, Gbajabiamila detailed how a failed impeachment plot against Speaker Mudashiru Obasa created a rift that reached the highest levels of the Nigerian presidency.
The Chief of Staff disclosed that President Tinubu summoned him to a private study in Abuja during the peak of the 2025 crisis. According to Gbajabiamila, the President presented intelligence reports identifying Desmond Elliot, a lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency 1, as a key architect of the move to oust Obasa. Gbajabiamila stated he initially defended the lawmaker, telling the President that "Desmond was not part of them," despite having not yet confirmed the details with Elliot himself.
The situation reportedly escalated three days later when the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) contacted Gbajabiamila. The intelligence agency alleged that Gbajabiamila was not just aware of the plot but was actively backing Elliot to ensure the Speaker’s removal. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that his survival in office was only secured by his deep, long-standing relationship with Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila further alleged that he repeatedly instructed Elliot to issue a public statement distancing himself from the impeachment proceedings to clear their names. He claimed the lawmaker "dilly-dallied" and refused to comply with the directive. Beyond the political maneuvering, Gbajabiamila accused Elliot of stoking religious divisions within their shared constituency to consolidate local support.
The crisis in question began in January 2025, when Mudashiru Obasa was impeached by 32 of 40 legislators on grounds of gross misconduct while he was out of the country. Mojisola Meranda briefly served as the first female speaker for 49 days before the presidency intervened. The impeachment was eventually nullified by the courts, and Obasa was reinstated.
Desmond Elliot has previously denied any rift with his political mentor. Earlier this month, he described Gbajabiamila as his "leader" and dismissed rumours of a falling out over the Surulere constituency seat as speculative. Elliot is currently seeking a fourth term in the state assembly, amid reports that Gbajabiamila may be backing a rival candidate.