The Presidency has denied rumours making the rounds on social media that the former governor of Oyo state, Abiola Ajimobi, has replaced Abba Kyari as President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff.
Politics Nigeria reports that Kyari, who tested positive to Coronavirus after he returned from Germany, has been in isolation and reportedly receiving treatment in a facility in Lagos.
However, the news medium understands that social media was awash with the rumours of Kyari’s sack on Tuesday, after a WhatsApp broadcast message claimed that President Buhari had sacked him.
The circulated message further said that the statement on Kyari’s sack was signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Monday, March 31, 2020, in Abuja.
The message read in part: “The termination of the appointment of Abba Kyari took immediate effect. And the President has appointed Ajimobi as New COS. The President ordered Abba Kyari to step down as Chief of Staff due to his health challenge.’’
However, debunking the claim, Buhari’s media aide, Bashir Ahmad, described the news as “another fake news.”
Ahmad tweeted, ”Yet another fake news started trending on some WhatsApp groups that ‘President @MBuhari sacked Mallam Abba Kyari and replaced him with former Gov. Abiola Ajimobi’, disregard and dishonour it, entirely untrue!’’
Yet another fake news started trending on some WhatsApp groups that ‘President @MBuhari sacked Mallam Abba Kyari and replaced him with former Gov. Abiola Ajimobi’, disregard and dishonor it, entirely untrue!
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) March 30, 2020
