President Tinubu Accedes to Nigerians’ Appeal, Nominates General Christopher Musa as New Minister of Defence

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence.

In a formal letter to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination to replace Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.

General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a highly decorated senior military officer who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He is a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, which he received in 2012.

Born in Sokoto State in 1967, General Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.

Commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, General Musa has built an illustrious career spanning over three decades. His notable appointments include: General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations, Headquarters 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps.

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

By 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, and subsequently became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.

President Tinubu, in his letter to the Senate, expressed strong confidence in General Musa’s capacity to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) December 2, 2025