Senate to screen Defence Minister nominee Gen. Musa Today

The Senate has scheduled Wednesday, December 3, 2025, for the screening of General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd) as the new Minister of Defence.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, through a statement issued by his Directorate on Media and Public Affairs.

Musa’s nomination comes after the resignation of the former Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru. Senator Bamidele confirmed that the Senate is already in possession of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s formal request for the screening of the retired general.

He explained that the president’s letter will be read during Wednesday’s plenary, after which the Senate will immediately proceed with the screening in accordance with Section 147 of the 1999 Constitution.

“We cannot delay such a request, especially at this crucial time in the history of our fatherland,” Bamidele said. “We are treating the request as a matter that touches directly on the core interests of the nation, so the federal government can sustain its campaigns against bandits, extremists, terrorists, and other forces undermining national security.”

He added that with President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on national security, both the Presidency and the National Assembly must work closely to ensure peace and stability. The screening, he said, is part of demonstrating that synergy.

General Musa left office as Chief of Defence Staff barely five weeks ago, on October 30, a move officially described at the time as a routine military procedure. His nomination only hours after Badaru’s resignation has triggered questions in some quarters, especially given his recent exit from service.

A credible source within the presidency told Daily Trust that some ministers advised President Tinubu to appoint someone with deep military experience and firsthand understanding of Nigeria’s complex security terrain.

Retired Brigadier General Mohammed Kabir Galadanchi, reacting to the development, said he has full confidence in General Musa’s capacity to support the president in addressing the country’s security challenges.