There was spectacle at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday morning as Nigeria’s newly appointed service chiefs stormed the Senate for their screening, which is a decisive step in President Bola Tinubu’s dramatic military shake-up.
The top brass, led by General Olufemi Oluyede, arrived around 10 a.m. flanked by senior officers in full regalia, drawing attention across the corridors of power.
The Senate, led by Godswill Akpabio, had abruptly brought forward the screening from next week to October 29, citing the need for the new commanders to “assume their duties without delay.”
The move followed a letter from President Tinubu, urging senators to give “expeditious consideration” to his nominees to ensure the military “maintains stability and operational momentum.”
In the sweeping changes announced on October 24, Tinubu replaced General Christopher Musa with General Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), naming Major-General W. Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.
Major-General E. A. P. Undiendeye retains his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence, according to a statement issued by Sunday Dare, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication.
All appointments, Dare confirmed, take immediate effect.
Oluyede’s rapid rise has stunned many. He only became Chief of Army Staff last year following the death of General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, yet now commands Nigeria’s entire military structure as CDS.
The outgoing chiefs: Musa, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and Air Marshal Bala Abubakar, had led major offensives against Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed bandits since June 2023.
Despite some gains, escalating gunmen attacks across Nigeria pushed calls for a leadership overhaul, one Tinubu has now delivered with military precision.
