reports that the Presidency has officially dismissed claiming that , Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, has been appointed as the new .

The clarification comes hours after an unverified report, which went viral online, alleged that President had appointed Bala Usman to replace the current SGF, , who was said to have been reassigned as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the resignation of .

However, in a swift response, , 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 been appointed SGF.

The Presidency has urged Nigerians and media platforms to verify information from official sources and avoid amplifying false claims.