The Senate will on Wednesday screen the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu as the new Minister of Defence.
The announcement was made by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, in a statement.
He stressed that the screening is a critical step in strengthening the country’s internal peace and stability amid escalating security challenges.
Musa’s nomination comes after the resignation of the former Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru, who stepped down citing health concerns.
President Tinubu formally forwarded Musa’s name to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in a letter transmitted on Tuesday.
In a Tuesday night statement, Bamidele said the Senate “is already in possession of the request of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu to screen his defence minister nominee.”
He added that the letter “will be read on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday. Subsequently, it will immediately proceed to the screening of the the nominee consistent with Section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)”.
According to him, “We cannot delay such a request especially at this crucial time in the history of our fatherland. We are treating the request as a matter that directly touches the core interest of our nation so that the federal government can sustain its campaigns against bandits, extremists, terrorists and other forces undermining our national security.”
Bamidele further noted that “Since the president has declared a State of emergency on national security, both the Presidency and National Assembly must work hand in hand to ensure peace, stability and good government. The screening of the defence minister nominee is one of the ways to demonstrate such a synergy purely in the national interest.”
General Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025.
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