The Nigerian Senate has scheduled the critical screening of the Defence Minister nominee, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), following the resignation of the former occupant of the office, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down citing health grounds.
The screening is scheduled to take place at the Senate Committee of the Whole later today and is viewed as one of the most crucial confirmations facing the upper legislative chamber, given the President’s recent declaration of a nationwide security emergency.
The need to confirm a new Defence Minister quickly has gained urgency due to President Bola Tinubu recently declaring a nationwide security emergency to tackle mass abductions and banditry, requiring decisive leadership at the Ministry of Defence to execute the new, aggressive security strategy.
The resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who had only been in the role since August 2023, created a sudden vacuum in the key security cabinet position.
Unlike the former minister, who was a two-term Governor, General Musa’s nomination is viewed as a strategic move to place a seasoned military officer in charge of the Ministry. This is intended to ensure seamless coordination between the political leadership and the military high command.
General Christopher Musa is a highly decorated career officer who retired from the Nigerian Army after a distinguished career marked by extensive field operations and administrative roles.
He is well-known for his service as the Commander, Operation Hadarin Daji, where he oversaw military campaigns against banditry and insurgency in the North-West zone. He also held key positions in the Army’s training and operations wings.
Lawmakers and security analysts expect the screening to focus heavily on his strategy for ending banditry, reversing the use of advanced technology (like drones) by terrorists, and addressing the persistent issue of internal security cooperation between the Armed Forces and the Nigerian Police Force.
The screening comes just after a rowdy session in the Senate, where divisions over legislative process were exposed.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is expected to manage the screening process carefully, ensuring that the legislative focus remains on the national security crisis and the nominee’s competence, rather than being derailed by internal political squabbles.
The confirmation of General Musa is seen as a pivotal step in strengthening the command and control structure required to implement the President’s renewed mandate to secure the nation.
