Security Upheaval: Badaru Resigns, Tinubu Holds Closed-Door Talks with Retired CDS Musa
A major shake-up in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s security architecture may be underway, following a discreet meeting on Monday between the President and recently retired Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), a meeting that came just hours before Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar abruptly resigned.
Sources say that Gen Musa, who left service on October 24, 2025, was quietly ushered into the President’s office wing by a senior security official. Though the purpose of the closed-door meeting was not disclosed, the timing, immediately preceding Badaru’s exit, has fueled intense speculation that Musa is being positioned for a powerful comeback, possibly even as the next Minister of Defence.
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Badaru, 63, tendered his resignation in a December 1 letter to the President, citing health concerns. Tinubu promptly accepted the resignation and expressed appreciation for his service. A former two-term governor of Jigawa State, Badaru had served as Defence Minister since August 21, 2023.
His departure comes at a time when Tinubu has declared a national security emergency and the country faces escalating violence—from the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi, to deadly attacks in Kwara, to the kidnapping of Catholic students in Minna. The Defence Ministry has never been under greater pressure.
Gen. Musa, Nigeria’s 18th CDS, was appointed in June 2023 and bowed out in October 2025, handing over to General Olufemi Oluyede. Hailing from Zangon Kataf in Kaduna State, Musa rose to national prominence as Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI, where he led decisive counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram in the North-East.
Widely respected for championing civil-military cooperation, pushing for modernization of Nigeria’s defence posture, and openly condemning corruption as “economic sabotage,” Musa earned the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). His profile, and the timing of his meeting with Tinubu, has only strengthened whispers that a significant realignment in Nigeria’s defence leadership is imminent.