EXCLUSIVE: Hakeem Muri-Okunola to be named Tinubu’s principal private secretary

Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the Lagos state head of service, will be named principal private secretary (PPS) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, TheCable understands.

Muri-Okunola, also known as “HMO”, was personal assistant to Tinubu between 2003 and 2005 when he was governor of Lagos state.

Tinubu thereafter appointed him executive secretary of the land use and allocation committee.

He became permanent secretary in 2011 — about 10 years after joining the civil service — and was posted to the Lands Bureau in the Governor’s Office.

He has been head of service since December 2018 when he took over from Folashade Adesoye.

HMO, who was 51 in January, is the first son of the late Justice Muritala Okunola.

It is still unclear what his job description as PPS will be since the president already has a chief of staff.

When President Umaru Musa Yar’Adau appointed a PPS in 2007, he abolished the office of chief of staff.

However, President Goodluck Jonathan had a chief of staff in addition to a “principal secretary” without the “private”.

TheCable understands that Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff, may focus more on the political aspects of the president’s engagements while Muri-Okunola may handle the administrative matters.

Damilotun Aderemi has also been appointed senior special assistant (private secretary).

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more facts.