Tinubu Swears In Gen. Musa As Nigeria’s New Defence Minister
By Odekunle Doyin
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday swore in retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, General Musa’s appointment follows the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday, December 1, 2025. The statement also confirmed that Musa’s nomination was forwarded to the Senate on Tuesday, where it received swift screening and confirmation.
General Musa, born in Sokoto in 1967, was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Nigerian Army in 1991 and rose through the ranks over a distinguished military career. He served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until his retirement in October 2025, championing inter-service security collaboration.
With his swearing-in, the new Defence Minister is expected to assume office immediately as the Tinubu administration moves to consolidate recent security gains and fast-track reforms aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability across the country.
The ceremony was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Others present included the Minister’s wife, Mrs. Lilian Oghogho Musa; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and retired Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs.
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