President Tinubu sends General Musa’s nomination for Defence Minister to Senate

Stanley Ihedigbo

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the name of General Christopher Gwabin Musa to the Senate for confirmation as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.

According to the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, the nomination was formally transmitted in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in which the President requested the legislature’s approval of General Musa as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.

General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is one of Nigeria’s most accomplished military officers.

He served as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) from 2023 until October 2025, and is a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, which he received in 2012.

Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa received his early education in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria.

After completing his studies in 1986, he enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.

Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in 1991, Musa has held an array of strategic and operational roles across the military.

His career postings include General Staff Officer 1 (Training/Operations) at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements in the Army’s Policy and Plans Department; and Infantry Representative on the Training Team at Headquarters, Nigerian Army Armour Corps.

In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations) at the Infantry Centre and Corps Headquarters, before taking command of Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole and later Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.

He was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in 2021, later rose to become Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, and in 2023 was appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu.

In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s leadership capacity, describing him as a seasoned professional capable of strengthening Nigeria’s defence architecture and driving ongoing reforms in the security sector.