President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, succeeding Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar who resigned on Monday.
The nomination was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday.
General Musa, 58, served as Chief of Defence Staff from June 2023 until October 2025. A recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012, he is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most decorated and experienced military officers.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa began his military career after graduating from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1991. His distinguished service includes commanding the Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region, serving as Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East, and leading the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps.
In the nomination letter, President Tinubu expressed full confidence in General Musa’s capacity to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The nomination comes at a time of heightened focus on internal security, counter-terrorism, and military modernisation.
The Senate is expected to commence screening of the nominee in the coming days.
