President Tinubu Reportedly Sacks Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, Hakeem Muri-Okunla Steps in
President Bola Tinubu has reportedly sacked his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and in his place appointed Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunla as replacement.
Gbajabiamila a record six terms member of the National Assembly was the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023.
He resigned his membership of the House of Representatives in June, 2023 when President Tinubu appointed him as Chief of Staff.
Until his new appointment, Mr. Muri-Okunola was the Principal Private Secretary to the President.
A source at the State House who craved anonymity told FACTSHEET that the sack of Hon. Gbajabiamila has “been long awaited” following high-wire politics at the Presidential Vila.
The former Speaker was said to have run into trouble with the president over his association with an unnamed minister from southern Nigeria among several allegations. Gbajabiamila had at a time touted to be the man to take over power from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who would be serving out his second and final term as governor of Lagos State in 2027.
At press time no official statement has come from the presidential media team.
Mr Hakeem Muri -Okunola, 52, popularly known as “HMO” within Lagos political circles has been a long time inner caucus member of the Bola Tinubu political family.
He was the personal assistant to Tinubu between 2003 and 2005 when the president was the governor of Lagos State.
Then Govermor Tinubu later appointed him Executive Secretary of the land use and allocation committee, Lagos State. In 2011, he was appointed Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Lands within the Governor’s Office.
He became permanent secretary in 2011 — about 10 years after joining the civil service — and was posted to the Lands Bureau in the Governor’s Office
HMO, is the first son of the late Justice Muritala Okunola.
