The Presidential aide also dismissed recent coup reports as sensational “click bait” journalism.

In a recent television appearance, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, clarified that the recent replacement of the nation’s service chiefs was driven by the President’s concerns over the handling of the country’s security challenges.

Speaking on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’ programme on Thursday, Onanuga described the move as a “routine change” aimed at injecting new leadership.

“The President is concerned about the way the security situation is being addressed and he feels that it’s time to have some new people in-charge,” Onanuga stated.

He further revealed that President Tinubu has given the new military leaders a definitive mandate: to end the long-running insurgency that has plagued the country since 2009.

“He gave them a marching order that they should not allow the crisis that began in 2009 to resurface,” Onanuga said. “The President told the new service chiefs that they should do everything possible to ensure this insurgency ends.”

On Coup Reports: “Sensational Headlines and Click Bait”

Addressing the recent circulation of an alleged attempted coup, Onanuga firmly dismissed the reports as unfounded rumour.

He criticized the nature of the reporting, suggesting it prioritized sensationalism over public interest.

“It was a mere dissemination of rumour. I am a journalist but sometimes journalists report without asking themselves the benefit of the story to the Nigerian public,” he remarked. “They write sensational headlines and stories to get traffic, click bait and all of that.”

The comments provide the first detailed insight from the presidency on the rationale behind the sudden military shake-up, emphasizing a renewed push for decisive results in the fight against insecurity.