President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the name of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), to the Senate for confirmation as Nigeria’s next Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on health grounds.
In a letter transmitted to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu requested legislative confirmation of General Musa as Minister of Defence, formalising moves to quickly fill a critical national security portfolio. The nomination was announced in Abuja through a statement by the presidential media team, which described the retired general as a seasoned infantry commander with extensive operational experience across Nigeria’s major security theatres.
General Musa, 58, previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025, during which he oversaw key counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, including deployments in the North-East and the Lake Chad Basin under multinational arrangements. Before his elevation as CDS, he held several command and staff positions in the Nigerian Army, rising through the ranks to lead formations involved in the fight against insurgents and bandits.
His nomination comes a day after Mohammed Badaru Abubakar resigned as Defence Minister, citing health challenges, a development that left the ministry without a substantive political head at a time of heightened insecurity. The presidency has framed the choice of Musa as part of broader efforts to strengthen the defence architecture and inject frontline operational experience into policy-making at the ministry.
If confirmed, General Musa will be expected to work closely with the current service chiefs and other security agencies to implement the administration’s declared security emergency, which includes scaling up operations against insurgents, bandits, and other violent groups across multiple regions. The Senate is anticipated to commence screening in the coming days, with lawmakers likely to question the nominee on his plans for military reform, civil-military relations, and protection of civilians in conflict-affected communities.
