President Bola Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Gwabin Musa, as the new Minister of Defence.
Tinubu announced the nomination in a letter sent to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The President said Musa is expected to take over from Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development in a statement. He said the President expressed confidence in Musa’s capacity to strengthen the country’s security system.
General Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025, when he was removed following an alleged aborted coup plot.
He was seen at the Presidential Villa on Monday, December 1, where he held a private meeting with the President hours before Badaru’s resignation was announced.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa had his early education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant the same year and has held several key positions in the Nigerian Army.
His past roles include serving as General Staff Officer 1 for Training and Operations at HQ 81 Division, Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion, and Assistant Director for Operational Requirements at Army Policy and Plans.
He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps in 2019, Commander of Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole, and Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
In 2021, Musa became Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai. He later served as Commander of the Infantry Corps before becoming Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
His nomination is expected to be considered by the Senate in the coming days.
