By Ajewole Joshua ABNews December 2, 2025
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd) as the new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of the former minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down on Monday.
The nomination was formally communicated to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in a letter from the President, requesting the immediate screening and confirmation of General Musa as the new head of the nation’s defence ministry.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a highly respected and decorated military officer. He served as the Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and is widely recognised for his strategic leadership and contributions to national and regional security. In 2012, he received the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, in honour of his outstanding service and professionalism.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria, where he graduated in 1986. He subsequently enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant that same year.
Throughout his military career, General Musa held several key operational and leadership positions. These include serving as General Staff Officer 1 for Training and Operations at the Headquarters of 81 Division, Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion, Assistant Director in the Department of Army Policy and Plans, and Infantry Representative at the Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps, before rising to become Commander of Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole, as well as Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
His trajectory continued upward in 2021 when he was named Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, a position he held before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
In his communication to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed strong confidence in General Musa’s competence and leadership abilities, stating that his experience and deep understanding of security operations will significantly contribute to strengthening Nigeria’s defence framework at a critical time.
The Senate is expected to consider the nomination in the coming days.
— ABNews | State House Report (Statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy)
