By Muhammad Mamman
The Presidency has emphatically dismissed a viral social media rumour alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has replaced his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, with Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
In a statement issued on Christmas Day, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the claim as a baseless fabrication intended to stir confusion within the administration.
“There is absolutely no truth to this story. We advise Nigerians to disregard it entirely,” the Presidency stated.
According to the clarification, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila continues to serve as Chief of Staff to the President, while Hakeem Muri-Okunola remains in his substantive position as Principal Private Secretary. No change, replacement, or reshuffling has occurred.
The Presidency attributed the circulation of the false report to “mischievous purveyors of fake news,” urging both the media and the public to verify information from credible sources before sharing or publishing it.
The rebuttal follows a wave of social media posts — some dating back to 24 December — which falsely claimed that a major shake-up had taken place in the Chief of Staff’s office, accompanied by fabricated graphics and sensational “breaking news” alerts that quickly gained momentum online.
