The Presidency has refuted claims that President Bola Tinubu intends to dismiss his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and replace him with his Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
The clarification was issued on Thursday via a statement on the social media platform X, signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He described the circulating report as false and urged the public to disregard it.
“The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to a viral falsehood suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has replaced his Chief of Staff with his Principal Private Secretary,” the statement read.
Onanuga emphasized that both officials remain in their respective positions. “There is absolutely no truth to this story. The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff,” he added.
The Presidency condemned the report as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and create internal tension within the government. It also cautioned media organizations and the public against spreading unverified information, urging adherence to professional standards and fact-checking before publishing or sharing content online.
