President Bola Tinubu has put forward former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for confirmation as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
According to The PUNCH, the President formally notified Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter sent on Tuesday, naming General Musa as the replacement for Mohammed Badaru, who stepped down on Monday due to health challenges.
In the correspondence, Tinubu expressed his confidence in Musa’s ability to steer the defence ministry and reinforce the country’s security architecture.
The appointment was also announced in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement read, “General Musa, 58, on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
“Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
“General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career.
“In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.
“In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.”
Earlier, The PUNCH reported that Badaru, who took office as Defence Minister on August 21, 2023, resigned due to ill health.
Onanuga confirmed that President Tinubu had accepted Badaru’s resignation and expressed gratitude for his contributions while in office.
The statement added, “President Tinubu will likely inform the Senate of Badaru’s successor later this week.
“His resignation comes amid President Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency, with plans to elaborate on its scope in due course.”
