Tinubu Moves to Appoint New Defence Minister After Resignation
President Bola Tinubu is expected to appoint a new Minister of Defence this week following the unexpected resignation of the incumbent, Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down due to health concerns.
Abubakar’s resignation, effective immediately, was communicated in a letter dated December 1 and addressed to the President. The development was confirmed in a statement issued Monday evening by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement noted: “In a letter dated December 1, addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Abubakar announced his resignation on health grounds. President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and expressed gratitude for his service to the nation. The President is expected to notify the Senate of his nominee later this week.”
Abubakar, 63, previously served two terms as Governor of Jigawa State between 2015 and 2023 before being appointed Minister of Defence on August 21, 2023. His departure comes at a critical time for the administration, which is battling rising insecurity that recently prompted President Tinubu to declare a nationwide security emergency.
The President has introduced new measures including the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers, deployment of forest guards, and increased protection for schools, churches, and mosques in high-risk areas.
Abubakar had also faced sustained criticism from analysts who argued he lacked the capacity to effectively lead the ministry.
Earlier on the same day the resignation was made public, President Tinubu held a private meeting at the State House with former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa (Retd.). Musa, who arrived at 7:03 p.m. dressed in dark-green traditional northern attire, was escorted into the President’s office wing by a senior security official.
This was Musa’s first publicised meeting with the President since retiring on October 24, 2025. Although details of the meeting remain unclear, it has intensified speculation about who will succeed Abubakar as Minister of Defence.
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