Breaking: Senate Confirms General Christopher Musa as Nigeria's Defence Minister

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 is coming after a five-hour grilling by the lawmakers on Wednesday, December 3.

Breaking: Senate Confirms General Christopher Musa as Nigeria's Defence Minister
Breaking: Senate Confirms General Christopher Musa as Nigeria's Defence Minister
Source: Twitter

Recall that President Bola Tinubu has 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 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.

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The nomination is 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.
Breaking: Senate Confirms General Christopher Musa as Nigeria's Defence Minister
Breaking: Senate Confirms General Christopher Musa as Nigeria's Defence Minister
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.

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“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.”

Real reason Tinubu returned General Musa disclosed

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Musa (rtd) is 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.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ezra Ukanwa avatar

Ezra Ukanwa (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Ezra Ukanwa is a Reuters-certified journalist with over 5 years of professional experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Anchor University, Lagos. Currently, he is the Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng, where he brings his expertise to provide incisive, impactful coverage of national events. Ezra was recognized as Best Campus Journalist at the Anchor University Communications Awards in 2019 and is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). Contact him at: ezra.ukanwa@corp.legit.ng or +2349036989944