A former presidential spokesman, Josef Onoh has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu is planning to relocate Nigeria’s capital to Lagos.
Naijaonpoint understands that one Mohammed Bello Doka had in an opinion article presented a narrative of regional favoritism and stealth relocation of Nigeria’s capital through administrative and budgetary decisions.
However, speaking via a statement, Onoh said that Doka’s claims are laughable and ludicrous.
He argued that while concerns about equitable development are valid in a federation, the facts were misrepresented.
Onoh said it was more painful that the wrong narrative was reposted and promoted by former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai whom he said he has high respect for despite negative perceptions that surrounds him.
He lamented that the over-packed media handlers of President Tinubu have failed in positively defending and promoting his policies to Nigerians and the world as a whole in a respectful manner expected from the office of a President.
Onoh countered the claim that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has “quietly transferred” key departments to Lagos, shifting real power there, noting that he had in a previous publication responded to same exact false insinuation by Senator Ali Ndume and once again compelled to make clear that In 2024, the CBN relocated specific departments (e.g., Banking Supervision, Financial Policy and Regulation) to its Lagos office as part of a decongestion plan for the overcrowded Abuja headquarters (occupancy exceeded safe capacity by over 50%).
“This involved redistributing 1,533 staff across Abuja, Lagos, and understaffed branches nationwide for safety, efficiency, and better oversight, most commercial banks are headquartered in Lagos. The CBN’s official headquarters remains in Abuja; this is internal restructuring, not a power grab,” he said.