U.S. Navy Adm. Christopher W. Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with General Christopher Musa, Chief of the Defense Staff of Nigeria, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., January 19, 2024. (DOD photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander Nieves)
Barring last minute change, President Bola Tinubu will nominate the immediate Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to replace Badaru Abubakar as minister of defence.
Abubakar resigned as minister of defence on Monday, citing health grounds.
Credible sources familiar with the development told our reporter that Tinubu had concluded arrangement to replace Abubakar with Musa, yielding to internal pressure for inclusion of ex-military officer in his security architecture.
If was gathered that former CDS met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Monday evening.
The Punch correspondent spotted Mr Musa arriving at the State House at 7:03 pm on Monday as he was led into the President’s office area by a senior security official.
He was dressed in dark-green traditional attire with elbow-length sleeves.
Musa is meeting the President publicly for the first time since Tinubu retired him on October 24, 2025.
Musa was relieved of his duties as CDS in October following alleged coup plots by some military men.
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