President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief
of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new
Minister of Defence.
The nomination was contained in a letter addressed to
Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, announcing Musa as the
replacement for Mohammed Badaru, who resigned on Monday citing health
challenges.
Tinubu, in the letter, expressed strong confidence in
Musa’s ability to reposition the Ministry of Defence and reinforce Nigeria’s
security architecture. The nomination was confirmed in a statement by the
President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Profile of General Christopher Musa
According to the statement, General Musa, who turns 58
on December 25, is a highly decorated officer who served as Chief of Defence
Staff from 2023 to October 2025. He received the prestigious Colin Powell
Award for Soldiering in 2012.
His career includes several high-level operational and
administrative roles:
Badaru’s Resignation
Former Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru,
appointed on August 21, 2023, resigned due to ill health. His resignation was
accepted by President Tinubu, who thanked him for his service, according to
Onanuga.
Badaru had faced recent backlash following remarks in
a BBC Hausa interview where he suggested that some terrorists could not be
neutralised because the forests they occupy are too dense for airstrikes.
Next Steps
The Presidency said Tinubu is expected to brief the
Senate formally on Musa’s replacement “later this week” as part of ongoing
adjustments under the President’s recently declared national security
emergency.
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