Desmond Elliot apologises to Tinubu chief of staff over Lagos Assembly crisis

Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed that he nearly lost his position because of allegations linking Lagos lawmaker Desmond Elliot to the 2025 impeachment of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. Gbajabiamila said President Tinubu summoned him and questioned him about intelligence reports that named Elliot as a participant in the power struggle that ousted Obasa, briefly replaced by Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda, the state’s first female speaker. Gbajabiamila warned Elliot to publicly distance himself from the plot, but Elliot never issued a denial.

Months later, Elliot appeared on TVC’s “Your View” and publicly apologized to Gbajabiamila, calling him his “egbon” and “daddy,” and also apologised to the “matriarch of Surulere.” He said any offense was unintentional, reaffirmed his commitment to party unity and development in his constituency, and emphasized his political mentorship under Gbajabiamila despite the earlier controversy.

The Lagos Assembly crisis, which began with Obasa’s removal while abroad and led to legal battles, a brief female speakership, and eventual reinstatement of Obasa, highlighted internal APC tensions and drew direct involvement from the president’s office.