Barely 24 hours after the resignation of Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), as his replacement.
The President formally transmitted the nomination to the Senate on Tuesday through a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In the correspondence, President Tinubu expressed firm confidence in General Musa’s capacity to strengthen Nigeria’s defence apparatus and provide strategic leadership at a critical time for the nation’s security sector.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the nomination follows a private meeting between Tinubu and General Musa at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Monday evening—hours after Abubakar’s resignation on health grounds.
General Musa, who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to October 2025, is widely regarded for his operational brilliance and reform-focused leadership. His distinguished military career includes winning the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012. Born in Sokoto in 1967, he had his early education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria.
If confirmed by the Senate, General Musa is expected to bring extensive field experience, strategic depth, and a strong record of inter-agency collaboration to the Ministry of Defence.
MORE DETAILS SHORTLY…
