President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence. His nomination follows the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.
The announcement was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary.
General Musa, 58, served as Chief of Defence Staff from June 2023 to October 2025. A recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012, he is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished and experienced military officers.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa began his military career after graduating from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1991. Over the years, he has held several key command positions, including Sector 3 Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin, Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East, and Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps.
In his nomination letter, President Tinubu expressed strong confidence in Musa’s capability to strengthen and reposition Nigeria’s security architecture.
The nomination comes at a critical time, as the government intensifies efforts in internal security, counter-terrorism operations, and the modernisation of the Armed Forces.
The Senate is expected to begin screening the nominee in the coming days.
