Tinubu appointed Muri-Okunola because of Gbajabiamila’s failure — Laolu Akande

Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has attributed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to bring Hakeem Muri-Okunola into the Presidency to what he described as the failure of Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to perform his duties effectively. Akande said the president’s reliance on Muri-Okunola, his Principal Private Secretary, to organise his schedule suggested shortcomings in the management of the Presidency.

Speaking on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, Akande argued that Tinubu had failed to surround himself with influential and capable figures who could help him deliver effective governance. He said Muri-Okunola, a former Lagos State Head of Service, had been brought in to organise the president’s schedule despite the presence of a 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 need for Muri-Okunola’s involvement pointed to a failure by the chief of staff to carry out his responsibilities.

“If the chief of staff was doing his job properly, he wouldn’t need HMO; that’s the truth,” he said. Akande, who served as Senior Media Aide to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo under the late President Muhammadu Buhari, said Tinubu had yet to deliver his best in office despite having some capable people 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. He cited former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, Osinbajo, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso as examples of people with the experience and influence he believes Tinubu needs around him.

Akande also praised Cardoso’s performance at the apex bank, saying the president appeared to give him room to work because of their familiarity. “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,” he said.

Muri-Okunola previously served as Lagos State Head of Service before becoming Tinubu’s Principal Private Secretary at the Presidency.