Following Mohammed Badaru’s resignation as Minister of Defense, President Bola Tinubu has initiated procedures to name a replacement.
It had earlier reported that Badaru, in a letter dated December 1, 2025, addressed to President Tinubu, the minister said his decision to exit public service was based strictly on medical advice, according to a statement released by the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday.
The statement stated, “President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation.”
Badaru also earned compliments from the President, who expressed thanks for his commitment during his service.
The Presidency confirmed that Tinubu would communicate the name of Badaru’s replacement to the Senate imminently.
Meanwhile, a Presidency source who talked with Tribune early Tuesday in Abuja said that Tinubu may consider the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as Badaru’s replacement, given his experience and recent attendance at the Presidential Villa.
The source revealed that the President has began shopping for a replacement to avoid creating a vacuum, with General Musa (retd) being a viable possibility.
According to Naija News, Musa met with President Tinubu on Monday at the Presidential Villa. He arrived at approximately 7:03 p.m. wearing traditional northern dark-green clothing, and a top security official took him into the President’s office.
The discussion was Musa’s first public encounter with the Presidency since he retired from military service in October 2025.
