Minister Badanu steps down over health concerns as President Tinubu prepares to nominate a new defence chief.
Former Minister of Defence, Badaru
By Uche Vera
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President Bola Tinubu is expected to name a new Minister of Defence this week following the resignation of the current minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down citing health reasons. The resignation — which takes immediate effect — was formalised in a letter dated December 1 addressed to the President. Confirmation of the development came in a statement on Monday evening from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the statement, the presidency announced that Tinubu had accepted the resignation and expressed gratitude for Abubakar’s service. It also said that the name of a successor would likely be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation later this week.
Badaru, aged 63, previously served two terms as governor of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023 before his appointment as Minister of Defence on August 21, 2023.
His resignation comes at a sensitive moment, as the Tinubu administration grapples with a worsening security crisis and has recently declared a nationwide security emergency.
Speculation about who might succeed him is already underway. Hours before the resignation was announced, Tinubu met privately with former Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa (retired), a meeting that has fueled conjecture that Musa — or another senior security official — could be considered for the defence portfolio.
The presidency’s swift acknowledgement of the resignation and the plan to propose a replacement underscore the urgency of maintaining leadership in the Defence Ministry amid ongoing national security challenges.
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