Nigeria’s Senate has started vetting General Christopher Musa for the role of Minister of Defence, following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu to lead the security-critical ministry.
The senate fast-tracked Musa’s entry into the chamber after Senate President Godswill Akpabio invoked a suspension of standing rules during plenary on Wednesday.
Akpabio told lawmakers the screening was necessary to “consider and approve the ex-CDS” as successor to former minister Mohammed Badaru, who resigned this week over medical grounds.
Tinubu’s request, sent to the senate on Tuesday, described Musa as capable of “strengthen Nigeria’s security framework” and steer the ministry at a time of escalating security concerns across the country.
Musa’s career in the Nigerian Army began in 1991 when he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant. He would later serve as commander of Operation Hadin Kai in 2021, oversee the Infantry Corps, and eventually rise to the position of Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
Badaru stepped down on Monday, explaining in his resignation letter that he could no longer fulfil the demands of the office because of persistent health challenges. The President Bola Tinubu accepted the exit, thanking Badaru for his contributions.
The former minister recently attracted criticism after he told the BBC in an interview that some terrorist camps were “too dense for bombs to reach” inside forest strongholds.
The senate is expected to wrap up the confirmation process and transmit its decision to Nigeria’s presidency once deliberations conclude.“`
