President Tinubu Nominates Former CDS General Christopher Musa as New Minister of Defence

• Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), for confirmation as the new Minister of Defence.
• The nomination was sent to the Senate just 24 hours after the former minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, resigned.
• President Tinubu expressed full confidence in General Musa’s wealth of experience and strategic vision, highlighting his “exceptional capacity in coordinating joint military operations” and his qualification to provide strategic leadership for national security.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the name of General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), to the Nigerian Senate for confirmation as the country’s new Minister of Defence.

The nomination was officially read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, coming just 24 hours after the resignation of the former Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.

A Distinguished Military Career
General Christopher Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished senior officers. He was born in 1967 in Sokoto State and graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in 1991.

His career includes numerous high-impact command and staff appointments. Key milestones include:

Commander, Sector 3 Operation LAFIYA DOLE (North-East counter-insurgency)

Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force (Lake Chad Basin)

Theatre Commander, Operation HADIN KAI (2021–2023)

Chief of Defence Staff (June 2023 – October 2025)

In 2012, General Musa received international recognition when he was honored with the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Outstanding Soldiering during a U.S. Army course.

President’s Confidence
In the nomination letter, President Tinubu expressed full confidence in General Musa’s wealth of experience, strategic vision, and proven track record in combating insecurity. The President wrote:

“The nominee has demonstrated exceptional capacity in coordinating joint military operations and strengthening inter-service synergy,” adding that General Musa is “eminently qualified to provide the strategic leadership required to further consolidate gains in our national security architecture.”

The Senate has referred the nomination to its Committee on Defence for accelerated screening.