Breaking: Senate Confirms General Christopher Musa as Nigeria's Defence Minister
- The Nigerian Senate has confirmed General Christopher Musa as Minister of Defence after a five-hour screening session
- President Bola Tinubu nominated Musa to replace Mohammed Badaru who resigned on health grounds
- Musa previously served as Chief of Defence Staff and held several key military command positions
The Senate has confirmed the nomination of a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, as Minister of Defence.
This comes after a five-hour grilling by the lawmakers on Wednesday, December 3.
Source: Twitter
Recall that President Bola Tinubu nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as the new Minister of Defence.
The nomination is contained in a letter transmitted to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, in which Musa is named as the replacement for Mohammed Badaru, who stepped down from the position on Monday, December 1, on health grounds.
In the letter, the president expresses confidence in Musa’s ability to lead the defence ministry and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The nomination was also confirmed in a statement issued by the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement added,
“General Musa, 58, on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Source: Facebook
“Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
“General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career.
“His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
“In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.
“In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
"In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture."
Real reason Tinubu returned General Musa disclosed
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Musa (rtd) was set to be the next minister of defence after he was nominated by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, December 2.
General Musa's nomination came barely five weeks after he was fired as the Chief of Defence Staff on October 30.
At the time, the presidency had explained that his removal was a routine drill. The presidency had announced his nomination hours after the resignation of Abubakar Badaru, the former minister of defence, who had occupied the office since 2023.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
