By Augustine Akhilomen
President Bola Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.
The nomination was conveyed in a letter sent to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, where President Tinubu asked the upper chamber to confirm the retired military chief as Badaru’s replacement.
According to the President, Mr Musa’s wealth of experience and long record of service make him a strong fit to lead the Ministry of Defence at a time the country is battling complex security challenges.
Musa was appointed as the 18th Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria on June 23, 2023. During his tenure, he was widely credited with leading major restructuring and modernisation efforts in the military.
As theatre commander before becoming CDS, he led operations against insurgents in the North-east under Operation Hadin Kai.
He also emphasised civil-military cooperation, believing in integrating humanitarian and development initiatives with security operations.
On October 24, 2025, the president announced a major reshuffle of the country’s military leadership.
Under this shake-up, Musa was removed from his position as the CDS and was replaced by Gen. Olufemi Oluyede.