BREAKING: Tinubu Nominates Former CDS, General Christopher Musa, as New Defence Minister

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.

The President’s nomination was formally conveyed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter transmitted to the upper chamber on Tuesday.

General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is one of Nigeria’s most decorated contemporary military officers, best known for his leadership against insurgency in the North-East and his receipt of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.

A Career Forged in Service

Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before moving to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. After graduating in 1986, he was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.

Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant that same year, Musa’s military career spans more than three decades of frontline command and strategic leadership. His roles have included:
• General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, HQ 81 Division
• Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
• Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans
• Infantry Representative, Nigerian Army Armour Corps Training Team

He held key operational commands, serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Infantry Corps and as Commander, Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole and the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.

In 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, overseeing major counterinsurgency operations, before later becoming Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps.

President Tinubu elevated him to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023, a position he held until October 2025.

Tinubu Expresses Confidence in Musa:

In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu described General Musa as a tested leader whose experience is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s defence and security framework.

The nomination now awaits screening and confirmation by the Senate.