Gbajabiamila says he nearly lost job as Tinubu chief of staff

Femi Gbajabiamila said he almost lost his position as chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu due to the actions of Desmond Elliot ^[1].

The disclosure highlights the volatile nature of political loyalty within Nigeria's ruling circles and the influence of regional legislative disputes on national appointments.

Speaking at a constituency stakeholders' meeting in Lagos, Gbajabiamila said he linked the risk to his employment to a crisis involving the Lagos State House of Assembly [1, 3]. The conflict centered on the removal of Mudashiru Obasa, the former speaker of the assembly [1, 2].

Gbajabiamila said the situation escalated because of Elliot's alleged involvement in the speakership dispute. According to Gbajabiamila, he had warned the actor-turned-politician to distance himself from the controversy to protect the administration's stability [1, 2].

"I told Mr Elliot to publicly dissociate himself from Mr Obasa's removal but that the state lawmaker did not do so," Gbajabiamila said ^[1].

The refusal to publicly distance himself from the former speaker created a political friction that threatened Gbajabiamila's standing with the presidency. This tension occurred in 2023, during a period of significant political transition in Nigeria [1, 2].

Gbajabiamila said the situation was severe during his remarks in Lagos. "I nearly lost chief of staff position because of Desmond Elliot," he said ^[2].

The event underscores how local legislative battles in Lagos State can ripple upward to affect the highest levels of the federal executive branch, creating precarious positions for those serving the president.