President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday swore in retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence. The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Musa’s appointment followed the resignation of former Defence Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, on Monday, December 1, 2025. His nomination was immediately sent to the Senate and received swift screening and confirmation on Tuesday.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1991 and rose through the ranks over a distinguished career. Appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023, he retired from service in October 2025 after leading key efforts to strengthen inter-service coordination in Nigeria’s security architecture.
With his swearing-in, the new Minister of Defence is expected to assume duty immediately as the Tinubu administration intensifies efforts to consolidate recent security gains and accelerate reforms aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability across the country.
Dignitaries at the ceremony included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Also present were Mrs. Lilian Oghogho Musa, spouse of the new minister; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto; and retired Supreme Court Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs.
