Gbajabiamila’s revelation deepens questions over Desmond Elliot’s political future in Lagos APC

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

Fresh revelations by Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, have intensified concerns over the political future of actor-turned-lawmaker Desmond Elliot within the power structure of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Gbajabiamila, in a viral video circulating on social media and reportedly extracted from a stakeholders’ engagement, disclosed that he “almost lost” his appointment as Chief of Staff during the 2025 Lagos State House of Assembly leadership crisis because intelligence reports allegedly linked Elliot to the political rebellion that led to the impeachment of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

According to Gbajabiamila, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally summoned him to Abuja at the height of the crisis and confronted him over reports that Elliot, who represents Surulere Constituency I, was among lawmakers allegedly involved in moves to destabilise the Assembly.

“I almost lost my job as Chief of Staff last year because of Desmond Elliot,” Gbajabiamila said in the viral clip.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives explained that Tinubu reminded him that Elliot was politically associated with him and warned that intelligence reports allegedly linked the lawmaker to the anti-Obasa movement within the Assembly.

Gbajabiamila said he immediately defended Elliot before the President, insisting he was unaware of any involvement by the Surulere lawmaker.

He further disclosed that the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) later contacted him over reports linking both his name and Elliot’s to the Assembly crisis, forcing him to repeatedly caution the lawmaker to distance himself from the controversy publicly.

The revelation has added a fresh political dimension to growing speculations that Elliot’s once stable rise within Lagos APC may now be facing serious turbulence from within the party’s own power structure.

For years, Elliot was widely regarded as one of Gbajabiamila’s political protégés in Surulere, enjoying the backing of one of Lagos APC’s most influential political structures.

After successfully transitioning from Nollywood into politics in 2015, the actor-turned-politician steadily consolidated his influence in Surulere politics, winning re-election multiple times despite controversies surrounding his public comments and performance as a legislator.

But political observers now believe the Obasa crisis may have altered calculations within influential APC circles.

The controversy comes at a particularly delicate period for Elliot, whose reported ambition to secure a fourth term in the Lagos State House of Assembly is already facing growing resistance from some APC stakeholders in Surulere.

One name increasingly gaining momentum in the constituency is Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who is believed to be mounting a strong challenge against Elliot ahead of the APC primaries.

Both Elliot and Barakat Odunuga-Bakare were among aspirants who reportedly scaled the APC screening exercise ahead of the primaries, confirming that the contest has officially moved beyond speculation into a structured intra-party battle.

Sources within Surulere APC say her aspiration has continued to attract support among party stakeholders seeking a fresh political direction for the constituency after Elliot’s long stay in office.

The latest controversy surrounding the Obasa saga is also believed to have strengthened anti-Elliot sentiments within sections of the party, particularly among those who view the Assembly crisis as an act of disloyalty against established APC leadership interests in Lagos.

Although Elliot has repeatedly denied having any rift with Gbajabiamila and insists he remains loyal to party leadership, analysts say the public nature of the Chief of Staff’s comments may further deepen perceptions that trust around the lawmaker has weakened in certain APC circles.

In Lagos politics, perception often carries enormous weight.

The suggestion that Tinubu personally questioned Elliot’s loyalty during one of the state’s biggest legislative crises in recent years could become a major talking point ahead of future party primaries.

Still, Elliot remains politically relevant.

Beyond his celebrity status and name recognition, the lawmaker is believed to retain significant grassroots structures within parts of Surulere, giving him a fighting chance if the contest eventually becomes a full-scale grassroots battle within the APC.

Yet, with fresh political alignments already emerging ahead of the 2027 election cycle, Gbajabiamila’s revelation has exposed cracks that many observers believe could shape the next phase of Desmond Elliot’s political career, a phase that may ultimately determine whether the Nollywood star remains a dominant force in Surulere politics or becomes another casualty of Lagos APC’s ever shifting power dynamics.