By John Umeh
The Presidency has firmly denied widespread reports claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has replaced his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
The clarification follows a wave of social media posts alleging an internal shake-up within the Presidency, with some accounts attributing the claim to unnamed “insider” sources. The reports, however, have been described as entirely false.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the speculation as baseless and urged Nigerians to ignore it.
According to the statement, President Tinubu has made no changes to the Chief of Staff position, stressing that Femi Gbajabiamila remains fully in office, while Hakeem Muri-Okunola continues to serve in his role as Principal Private Secretary.
“There is absolutely no truth to the claim that the Chief of Staff has been replaced,” the Presidency stated, adding that the viral report was deliberately crafted to mislead the public.
The government further described the rumour as a fabrication by individuals seeking to create tension and confusion within the administration. It warned against the growing spread of unverified information, particularly on social media platforms.
Onanuga also called on media organisations and the public to uphold responsible information sharing by verifying facts before publication.
The Presidency reassured Nigerians that there is no leadership crisis within the President’s inner circle and that official appointments remain unchanged.
