Tinubu Nominates Ex-CDS Christopher Musa as Defence Minister

President Bola Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as the new Minister of Defence following the resignation of Mohammed Badaru due to health reasons.

The nomination was conveyed in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, with the President expressing confidence in Musa’s capability to strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture.

The development was further confirmed in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who highlighted Musa’s distinguished service record and strategic contributions to national security.

According to the statement, General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to October 2025 and had earlier won the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.

Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his early education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria, and later joining the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.

“General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career,” the statement read.

“His previous appointments include roles in training, operations, and strategic command among them General Staff Officer 1 at HQ 81 Division, Commanding Officer 73 Battalion, Assistant Director at the Department of Army Policy and Plans, and Infantry Representative at the Nigerian Army Armour Corps,” it added.

Onanuga noted that President Tinubu had accepted Badaru’s resignation and thanked him for his service, adding that the former minister stepped down amid the President’s declaration of a national security emergency, with further details expected in due course.