President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.
In a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu confirmed that he had forwarded Musa’s name to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter requesting the Senate’s confirmation of the appointment.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a career military officer and former Chief of Defence Staff, a position he held from 2023 until October 2025.
He received the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria.
He graduated in 1986 and proceeded to the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
READ ALSO: Tinubu to Service Chiefs: Let Us Smash the New Snakes Right in the Head
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, he has held several key positions in the Nigerian Army, including General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, Headquarters 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative on the Training Team at Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training and Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and later Commander, Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
He was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, in 2021 before taking charge of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps. President Tinubu named him Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
In the nomination letter, Tinubu said he was confident in General Musa’s capacity to lead the Ministry of Defence and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
