Former presidential media aide Laolu Akande has criticised Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila over President Bola Tinubu’s reliance on Principal Secretary Hakeem Muri-Okunola to organise his schedule.
Akande questioned Gbajabiamila’s effectiveness, arguing that a properly functioning chief of staff should be capable of handling such responsibilities without the president needing to assign them to another official.
He made the remarks during an appearance on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he also criticised Tinubu’s management of the Presidency and argued that capable individuals within the administration had not been given sufficient influence.
According to Akande, Muri-Okunola was brought into the Presidency to help organise the president’s schedule despite the presence of a chief of staff.
Akande Questions Gbajabiamila’s Effectiveness
Akande suggested that the arrangement raised questions about the effectiveness of the Presidency’s internal coordination and the performance of the chief of staff.
“This is the problem. The president has a chief of staff, for instance, even the people in that Villa will tell you that the chief in front of the staff is removed because of all the kinds of stuff that have happened and then the president has to go and bring Hakeem Muri-Okunola (HMO) to be organising his schedule,” Akande said.
He argued that the president should not need to rely on another official to handle responsibilities that ordinarily fall within the chief of staff’s duties.
“If the chief of staff was doing his job properly, he wouldn’t need HMO; that’s the truth,” he said.
Akande’s comments centred on the division of responsibilities within the Presidency and whether key officials were performing their roles effectively.
Tinubu Has Not Given His Best, Akande Says
Beyond his criticism of Gbajabiamila, Akande argued that Tinubu had yet to deliver his full potential as president, despite having capable individuals serving in his administration.
“So, the president has not managed to give us his best, and there are very good people in this administration. There are good people, few people, but they don’t have that kind of influence that people like Fashola, Osinbajo, Aregbesola, Cardoso,” he said.
Akande identified former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso as examples of experienced figures whose influence, in his view, could strengthen the administration.
His argument was that the presence of capable people alone was insufficient if they lacked the authority or influence needed to contribute meaningfully to government decisions.
The former presidential media aide’s assessment raised broader questions about leadership, delegation and the extent to which experienced officials can shape policy under Tinubu.
Akande Praises Cardoso’s Performance at the CBN
Akande also praised Cardoso’s performance as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), suggesting that the president’s familiarity with the central bank chief had allowed him to operate with limited interference.
“The president even doesn’t try to interfere with Cardoso because he knows him. I think they call him Head Master or whatever. He looks everything. The president doesn’t have people like that around him,” Akande said.
His remarks suggested that Tinubu could benefit from allowing capable officials sufficient independence to carry out their responsibilities.
Cardoso was presented by Akande as an example of an experienced public official whose work, in his assessment, demonstrated the importance of competence and institutional autonomy.
However, Akande’s comments reflected his own evaluation of the administration and should not be interpreted as an independent assessment of the performance of the officials mentioned.
Who Is Hakeem Muri-Okunola?
Hakeem Muri-Okunola was appointed Principal Secretary to President Tinubu in 2023 after serving as head of the Lagos State civil service.
Before his appointment to the Presidency, Muri-Okunola had worked with Tinubu during the latter’s tenure as governor of Lagos State, serving as his personal assistant.
A statement issued by the Presidency at the time described Muri-Okunola as an experienced administrator with more than 25 years of experience in law and public service.
The statement announcing his appointment read in part:
“Hakeem Muri Okunola appointed Principal Secretary to President Tinubu An astute administrator, former Personal Assistant to President Bola Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos state, and recently Head of Civil Service of Lagos State, Hakeem Muri Okunola brings over 25 years of experience in law and public service to his new role as Principal Secretary to President Bola Tinubu.”
His appointment placed him in a key administrative position within the Presidency, drawing on his previous experience in Lagos State and his longstanding professional relationship with Tinubu.
Questions Over Coordination Within the Presidency
Akande’s criticism highlights the importance of clearly defined responsibilities and effective coordination among senior officials in the Presidency.
A chief of staff generally helps coordinate the president’s office, manage access and oversee administrative priorities. A principal secretary may also provide executive and administrative support, depending on the responsibilities assigned by the president.
The existence of these roles does not, by itself, establish that one official is failing in their duties. However, Akande argued that Tinubu’s reliance on Muri-Okunola to organise his schedule raised questions about Gbajabiamila’s effectiveness.
His broader criticism was that Tinubu had not fully utilised the experience and abilities of some of the capable figures in his administration.
Neither the criticism nor the claims about the president’s internal arrangements independently establish that Gbajabiamila has failed in his official responsibilities.
The comments have placed renewed attention on the working relationships among senior officials in Tinubu’s administration, as well as the president’s approach to delegation and decision-making.