Strong indications have emerged that former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retired), may be named Nigeria’s next minister of defence following the sudden resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
Top security sources disclosed that General Musa’s visit to the Presidential Villa —his first since leaving office—may be directly connected to ongoing consultations on filling the now-vacant defence portfolio. The retired military chief arrived the Villa on Monday evening dressed in traditional northern attire and went straight into a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Although the presidency has not officially confirmed the purpose of the meeting, sources familiar with the development told this newspaper that Musa is strongly being considered as Badaru’s replacement. “His background and experience make him a natural fit at this critical period,” one source said.
Analysts note that his potential appointment would satisfy long-standing calls for someone with a deep security background to oversee the defence ministry, particularly as the country faces escalating security challenges across multiple regions.
General Musa was relieved of his position as CDS in October following reports of an alleged aborted coup attempt, though no official explanation was issued at the time. His unexpected return to the State House comes amid worsening attacks, including the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi, an assault on worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, and the kidnapping of Catholic schoolchildren in Minna.
His meeting with the president occurred just hours after the announcement that Defence Minister Badaru Abubakar had resigned on health grounds. President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and is expected to forward a nominee to the Senate later this week.
With the president’s recent declaration of a national security emergency, the choice of a new defence minister is widely seen as pivotal to the direction of the administration’s security strategy. General Musa’s name, according to insiders, has now moved to the top of the list.
