How Obasa’s Impeachment Almost Cost Me My Job – Gbajabiamila Opens Up on Explosive Fallout With Desmond Elliot

Akahi News reports that the cold war between President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Surulere lawmaker Desmond Elliot has finally spilled into the open. Akahi News gathered that Gbajabiamila has now traced their rift to the dramatic impeachment and subsequent reinstatement of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The issue had simmered for months in political circles, known only to insiders. But it became public after Elliot, the actor-turned-politician representing Surulere Constituency 1, declared his interest in a fourth term. When asked about any rift with his former political godfather, Elliot offered a humble plea: “Our leader is a compassionate leader. A leader of thought. We are children. Children sometimes err. If I have erred in any way, my leader, I am sorry.” But Gbajabiamila’s latest revelation suggests the wound is far deeper than a simple apology can heal.

The Obasa Crisis: A Political Earthquake That Shook Lagos

For those who need context, majority lawmakers in the Lagos Assembly had removed Obasa, the longest-serving speaker in the house’s history, accusing him of highhandedness and other infractions. It was a political earthquake. But following high-powered interventions, Obasa clawed his way back and is now reportedly on his way to the National Assembly. In the middle of that chaos stood Desmond Elliot — at least according to President Tinubu.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos on Thursday, Gbajabiamila dropped a bombshell. Akahi News learnt that the President himself summoned the Chief of Staff over Elliot’s alleged role in the crisis. “I almost lost my job because of Desmond Elliot last year. You can go and verify,” Gbajabiamila told the gathering. That is not a casual statement. That is the weight of a man who stared into the abyss of political termination.

“Mr President called me to his study in Abuja and said, ‘I hear this Desmond is your boy.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He then said Desmond was among those causing problems in the Lagos State House of Assembly,” Gbajabiamila recounted. One can only imagine the tension in that room. The Chief of Staff’s job hanging by a thread, and a godson’s loyalty under the microscope.

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Defending a ‘Boy’ Without Knowing the Full Story

Gbajabiamila admitted that he defended Elliot on the spot, telling the President that his protégé was not part of the problem. “I told the President that Desmond was not part of them, but the President insisted and told me to call him to order,” he said. So he did. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives contacted Elliot and warned him to steer clear of the crisis. Case closed? Not quite.

Akahi News gathered that three days later, a new alarm sounded. The Director-General allegedly called Gbajabiamila to say there was a serious issue — that his name was everywhere as the person supporting Elliot to push for the impeachment. Imagine the irony. The Chief of Staff had just defended Elliot to the President, only to find out that his own name was being dragged into the mess. That is not just betrayal. That is political poison.

Gbajabiamila said he reached out to Elliot again. This time, he demanded a public statement from the lawmaker distancing himself from the impeachment plot. According to the Chief of Staff, Elliot failed to comply. “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 confessed. That sentence speaks volumes. The bond between Tinubu and Gbajabiamila is evidently strong enough to survive a godson’s alleged treachery.

Religious Card: CAN Wrote Letter, Gbajabiamila Fires Back

The drama did not end there. Gbajabiamila accused Elliot of attempting to whip up religious sentiment. Akahi News learnt that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reportedly wrote a letter to the Chief of Staff to make a case for Elliot. That is a significant escalation. When a political dispute attracts the attention of a major religious body, the stakes have clearly moved beyond party politics.

But Gbajabiamila was having none of it. He told party faithful that political office holders in the constituency relate freely regardless of religious background. “Religious sentiment has no place in the constituency as people work together harmoniously,” he declared. One cannot help but ask: did Elliot really believe that invoking CAN would save him? Or was that a desperate move by a man who had lost his political cover?

Akahi News had earlier reported that religious cards are increasingly common in Nigerian politics, but they rarely work when the issue is pure loyalty — or the lack thereof. Gbajabiamila’s public airing of this grievance suggests that whatever bridge existed between him and Elliot may have been burned beyond repair.

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Elliot’s Humble Plea: ‘Children Sometimes Err’

Before Gbajabiamila’s latest outburst, Elliot had already struck a conciliatory tone. “Although he has not said that I have erred, I’m just saying that if I have, then this is the situation,” the lawmaker said. That is the language of a man who knows he is on thin ice. But is an apology enough when the damage includes nearly costing your mentor his job as Chief of Staff to the President?

Akahi News gathered that Elliot is still pushing for a fourth term in the Lagos Assembly. But without Gbajabiamila’s backing, that ambition faces a steep climb. In Lagos politics, the Chief of Staff’s influence remains formidable. And Elliot’s public declaration of interest may now be met with quiet resistance from the very camp that once nurtured him.

The actor-turned-lawmaker rose to prominence on the back of Gbajabiamila’s political structure. Now, that structure appears to have collapsed beneath him. The philosophical reflection here is painful: in Nigerian politics, yesterday’s political son can become today’s political liability. And once the father disowns the son, the road back is often longer than anyone imagines.

What This Means for Lagos Politics and 2027

This rift is not just personal gossip. It has real implications for the balance of power in Surulere and beyond. Akahi News believes that Gbajabiamila’s public testimony is a warning shot to every political godson in Lagos: loyalty matters. When the President calls you to his study, you had better know exactly what your protégés are doing.

For Desmond Elliot, the path forward is uncertain. He has apologised publicly. He has begged for another chance. He has even hinted at religious sympathy. But Gbajabiamila’s speech suggests that trust, once broken, is not easily repaired. And in a political ecosystem where the Chief of Staff sits just steps away from the nation’s highest office, being on the wrong side of that relationship is a lonely place to be.

As for the ordinary Nigerian watching this drama unfold, the takeaway is simple: power is personal. Alliances are fragile. And today’s “boy” can become tomorrow’s scapegoat. Akahi News will continue to track this story as the 2027 elections approach. Will Elliot survive without his political father? Or will Surulere Constituency 1 send a new representative to Lagos House? Only time — and Tinubu’s study — will tell.