The Presidency has rejected claims circulating online that President Bola Tinubu has replaced his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with the Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the reports as false and deliberately misleading, accusing their promoters of attempting to sow discord within the government.
According to Onanuga, there has been no change in the President’s administrative structure, stressing that both Gbajabiamila and Muri-Okunola continue to serve in their respective roles.
He urged the public to ignore the reports entirely and advised media organisations to verify information before publishing or sharing it, particularly on social media.
Speculation about Gbajabiamila’s alleged removal gained momentum on Wednesday, following widespread social media posts predicting an imminent shake-up in the Presidency.
The rumours echoed earlier speculations from September 2024, which suggested a possible cabinet reshuffle and named former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, as a potential replacement for Gbajabiamila, or alternatively Muri-Okunola. None of those predictions materialised.
Gbajabiamila, who was appointed Chief of Staff on June 2, 2023, shortly after President Tinubu’s inauguration, previously served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023. He resigned from the House on June 14, 2023, after representing Surulere I Federal Constituency of Lagos State for six consecutive terms.
Muri-Okunola was appointed Principal Private Secretary in September 2023. He previously served as Head of Service in Lagos State from 2018 and had earlier worked as Tinubu’s personal assistant during his tenure as Lagos State Governor.
