By Folayimika Akanbi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, recounted how a member representing Surulere 1 Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot, almost caused his removal from office due to his alleged involvement in the impeachment plot against the Speaker of the House, Mudasiru Obasa.
In a viral video obtained online, Gbajabiamila was seen addressing a gathering of stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a pre-primary meeting of the ruling party in Lagos.
Wind Gate News reports that Tinubu’s CoS remark was in response to the allegation from Elliot’s that the former House of Representatives’ Speaker was not supporting his bid to return to the Lagos Assembly for a fourth term.
Findings showed that Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who has the backing of Gbajabiamila and other stakeholders from Surulere Constituency is vying for the ticket of the APC to occupy the seat where Elliot is currently serving.
Recall that the impeachment against Obasa was reversed after the intervention of President Tinubu.
“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot. Mr President called me to his house in Abuja during the Lagos Speaker Obasa saga. He said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy, the one we gave you,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He is one of the people causing problems in the Lagos House of Assembly,” Gbajabiamila said.
He said he immediately defended Elliot, insisting he was not involved in the alleged plot to destabilise the Assembly.
However, the CoS said the President maintained that intelligence reports implicated the lawmaker and directed him to warn Elliot to “retrace his steps.”
Gbajabiamila said he subsequently contacted Elliot and relayed the President’s warning, urging him to distance himself from the crisis if he was involved.
He further disclosed that days later, the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service allegedly informed him that his own name was being mentioned as one of those backing Elliot in the matter.
“The situation became so serious that there were assumptions within political circles that Elliot could not have acted without my knowledge or support.
“I called him again and told him to go and make a public statement that he was not part of it,” Gbajabiamila said.
He, however, said that up to date, Elliot had not made any public statement denouncing his role in the saga.
The former Speaker added that his longstanding relationship with Tinubu ultimately saved him from losing his office.
Gbajabiamila also accused Elliot of attempting to introduce religious division into Surulere politics, alleging that the lawmaker had written official complaints accusing him of creating tensions between Muslims and Christians in the constituency.
He maintained that throughout his political career, he had resisted attempts to divide constituents along religious lines.
Visited 23 times, 23 visit(s) today
