Presidency has denied the alleged appointment of Hadiza Bala Usman as SGF.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Presidency has officially dismissed widespread reports claiming that Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, has been appointed as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The clarification comes hours after an unverified report, which went viral online, alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had appointed Bala Usman to replace the current SGF, Senator George Akume, who was said to have been reassigned as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
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However, in a swift response, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, debunked the claim, labelling it “fake news” and warning the public against spreading misinformation.
“There has been no change in the status of His Excellency, Senator George Akume, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” Onanuga said in a statement issued late Friday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, currently in Saint Lucia, has not made any new appointments. The information circulating about Akume’s replacement is untrue. Agents of mischief fabricated it,” the statement added.
The presidency’s denial comes amid premature celebrations by some women’s groups who welcomed the earlier (now discredited) reports as a milestone for gender representation at the highest level of governance.
Hadiza Bala Usman, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority and prominent advocate for public sector reform, currently serves as the President’s chief adviser on policy coordination but has not been appointed SGF.
The Presidency has urged Nigerians and media platforms to verify information from official sources and avoid amplifying false claims.
