The Presidency has denied reports claiming that President Bola Tinubu plans to remove his Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and appoint his Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Okunola, as replacement.
The clarification was made in a statement issued on X on Thursday by the special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the Presidency, the report circulating online is false and should be ignored by the public.
It described the claim as a viral falsehood with no basis in fact.
“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.
Mr Onanuga stated that there has been no change in the position of Chief of Staff, noting that both officials remain 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 said.
The Presidency also addressed the motive behind the report, describing it as an attempt to mislead the public and create internal tension within the government.
“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 cautioned members of the media and the public against spreading unverified information and urged news organisations to confirm facts before publishing or sharing reports, particularly on social media platforms.
