President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila said he almost lost his job last year because of the alleged involvement of Desmond Elliot, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, in the political crisis that rocked the Assembly during the speakership tussle involving Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
In a video widely circulating on social media, Gbajabiamila narrated how the president summoned him to his residence in Abuja at the height of the Obasa impeachment saga.
According to the him, the president confronted him over intelligence reports linking Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, to efforts to destabilise the state legislature.
According to him, the president told him, “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 stated.
He said defended Elliot against the allegations. “Immediately I said to Mr. President, no, no, no. Desmond is not part of them. I haven’t even spoken to him. I didn’t know whether he was part of that. I said, no, he’s not part of them.”
According to him, Tinubu said, “I’m telling you from intelligence that he is part of them. Go and tell him to retrace his steps. This is what Mr. President told me. I said, yes, sir.”
He said he called Elliot to inform him of the development.
“That’s what I told him. Just like the President, this is what he said. If you are one of these people, if you are part of them, get out of there.”
He added that the Director-General of the Department of State Services also contacted him regarding his and Elliot’s alleged involvement.
“Three days later, the Director General of DSS called me and said there’s a problem. Your name is being mentioned all over the place. That you are the one behind, you are supporting Desmond in this event. Of course, the President will not believe that Desmond would do such a thing and I will not know what it sounds like. I told the DSS, I’m going to have to talk to Desmond. I called him again.”
Gbajabiamila said he directed Elliot to issue a statement dissociating himself of the allegation, but the lawmaker allegedly refused to do so till date.
