The intricate and often volatile nature of Nigerian power politics was laid bare on Thursday as the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, revealed a startling near-miss in his political career.
Speaking at a strategic stakeholders’ meeting in Surulere, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives disclosed that he almost lost his plumb job as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Right-hand man” due to the political maneuvers of his protégé, Hon. Desmond Elliot.
The crisis, which Gbajabiamila described as a “Test of absolute loyalty,” traces back to a turbulent period in the Lagos State House of Assembly involving the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.
According to Gbajabiamila, intelligence reports reaching the Presidency had placed Desmond Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency I, at the heart of a plot to destabilize the Assembly leadership, a move that ran contrary to the political interests of the “Lagos Doctrine” championed by the President.
Gbajabiamila narrated a tense encounter in the President’s private study in Abuja. “The President called me and was very direct,” Gbajabiamila told the gathered APC faithful.
“He said, ‘I heard this Desmond is your boy… we heard he is part of the people causing problems in the Lagos House of Assembly.’”
In a move that highlights the deep-seated “Godfather-Protégé” dynamics of the APC, Gbajabiamila admitted to defending Elliot instinctively, even before confirming the facts.
“I told the President immediately that Desmond was not part of them. I hadn’t even confirmed from him yet, but I defended him based on the trust I had in our relationship,” he confessed.
However, the situation took a darker turn when the President informed him that intelligence from the Department of State Services (DSS) suggested otherwise. The CoS was subsequently ordered to “Rein in” his ward.
The most dramatic revelation involved the aftermath of this presidential warning. Gbajabiamila claims he summoned Elliot and warned him of the grave implications of his actions.
Rather than a straightforward withdrawal, the CoS alleged that the actor-turned-lawmaker “Started cutting corners” and failed to issue a public dissociation from the anti-Obasa group as instructed.
Three days later, the Director-General of the DSS reportedly contacted Gbajabiamila to inform him that his own name was being mentioned in intelligence circles as the “silent backer” of the rebellion.
For the Chief of Staff, this was a moment of existential political threat. “Of course, the President would not believe that Desmond would do such a thing and I would not know,” Gbajabiamila remarked, emphasizing that his proximity to power was almost severed by the perceived double-dealing of his subordinate.
The timing of this “confession” is significant. With the 2027 electoral cycle appearing on the horizon, the once-unbreakable bond between Gbajabiamila and Elliot appears to have fractured beyond repair.
Analysts suggest that by making this story public, Gbajabiamila is signaling a total withdrawal of his political umbrella, leaving Elliot to navigate the treacherous waters of Lagos politics without his longtime benefactor.
