By Yinka Giwa
The Presidency has dismissed as false reports claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has replaced his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, with his Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Thursday via the social media platform X by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the claim, which has been circulating widely on social media, is completely untrue and should be ignored by the public.
“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,” the statement said.
Onanuga stressed that there has been no change in the position of Chief of Staff, noting that both officials remain firmly in their respective roles.
“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,” he stated.
The Presidency described the report as a deliberate fabrication aimed at misleading the public and creating unnecessary tension within government circles.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government,” the statement added.
The Presidency also warned members of the public and media organisations against spreading unverified information, urging journalists to uphold professional standards by confirming facts before publishing or sharing reports, especially on social media platforms.