Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, is expected to be named Nigeria’s next Minister of Defence following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, sources within the presidency have confirmed.
Musa held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday evening at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. The meeting marked his first public engagement with the President since his retirement from service on October 24, 2025.
According to senior government sources, President Tinubu used the meeting to inform Musa of plans to nominate him as Badaru’s replacement, subject to Senate confirmation.
Badaru formally stepped down from office on Monday night, citing health reasons in a letter dated December 1 and addressed to the President. The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement noted that President Tinubu has accepted Badaru’s resignation and expressed appreciation for his service to the nation. It also indicated that the President would forward the name of a successor to the Senate later in the week.
Badaru, 63, previously served two terms as governor of Jigawa State between 2015 and 2023 before his appointment as Defence Minister in August 2023.
His exit comes at a critical time, as the Federal Government has declared a national security emergency, with further details on the initiative expected in the coming days.
