Former Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, has attributed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to appoint Hakeem Muri-Okunola (HMO) into the Presidency to the operational failures of Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila.
Speaking on Saturday, October 24, 2026, during a public analysis on political developments in Abuja, Akande noted that the President was forced to bring in Muri-Okunola, the former Lagos State Head of Service, to bridge administrative gaps created by Gbajabiamila’s inability to manage his office effectively.
”If the Chief of Staff was doing his job properly, he wouldn’t need HMO; that’s the truth,” Akande stated.
Akande argued that while President Tinubu has seasoned administrators in government, the operational structure around him lacks the deep, independent influence necessary to maximise governance efficiency.
Akande cited key figures such as former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Olayemi Cardoso as examples of trusted figures with the institutional weight needed around the President.
He highlighted CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso as an example of a figure the President respects enough not to micro-manage, stressing that Tinubu lacks enough of such seasoned administrators in his immediate cabinet.
He maintained that Muri-Okunola’s role as Principal Secretary was created primarily to shore up administrative coordination, an area where the Chief of Staff’s office reportedly fell short.
Hakeem Muri-Okunola was appointed Principal Secretary to President Tinubu in late 2023. A lawyer and former Personal Assistant to Tinubu during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State, Muri-Okunola brought over 25 years of public service experience to the Villa.
As of the time of reporting on Saturday evening, neither Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila nor official presidential spokespersons, including Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga have issued an official response to Akande’s statements.
