President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has moved swiftly to fill the void left in the Defence Ministry, nominating General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), for the role of Minister of Defence.
The appointment underscores the President’s commitment to prioritizing national security following the abrupt resignation of the former minister.
The President officially conveyed General Musa’s nomination to the Senate on Tuesday in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Hobnob News can confirm.
A Rapid Succession
General Musa, a distinguished and highly decorated career soldier, is being nominated as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar. Abubakar resigned from the cabinet on Monday, December 1, citing health grounds, leaving a critical gap in the administration’s security apparatus.
The nomination of the former CDS signals a move toward placing a security professional with recent, high-level operational experience at the helm of the Defence Ministry.
General Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, served as the Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until his retirement in October 2025. His rapid transition from the highest military post to the ministerial cabinet highlights the urgency with which the Tinubu administration views the ongoing national security challenges.
The Senate is expected to prioritize the screening and confirmation of General Musa given the sensitive nature of the position and the context of the recently declared national security emergency.
