The Presidency has refuted claims circulating online that President Bola Tinubu has replaced his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with his Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
The clarification follows the spread of unverified reports on social media alleging a change in the Chief of Staff position, with some posts claiming the information came from unnamed “insider” sources.
In a statement released on Thursday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the reports as false and advised Nigerians to ignore them.
“The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to a viral falsehood circulating on social media suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has replaced his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, with his Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola. There is absolutely no truth to this story. We advise Nigerians to disregard it entirely.
“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,” the statement said.
The Presidency described the report as a deliberate fabrication by individuals spreading fake news in an attempt to create division within the government.
Onanuga also cautioned media organisations and social media users to always verify information before publishing or sharing it.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government. We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” he added.
