President Bola Tinubu is preparing to appoint a new Minister of Defence this week following the unexpected resignation of the current minister, Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down from the cabinet due to health-related issues.
Abubakar’s resignation, which took effect immediately, was communicated through a letter dated December 1 and directed to the President.
The announcement was made in a statement released on Monday evening by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“In a letter dated December 1, sent to President Bola Tinubu, Abubakar said he was quitting on health grounds,” the statement noted.
“President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation.
“President Tinubu will likely inform the Senate of Badaru’s successor later this week,” it added, suggesting that the process of selecting a replacement is already in progress.
Abubakar, aged 63, previously served as governor of Jigawa State for two terms between 2015 and 2023 before being appointed Minister of Defence on August 21, 2023.
His departure comes at a delicate time for the government, which is confronting escalating security challenges that recently led President Tinubu to announce a national security emergency.
The President had introduced new measures such as the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers, deployment of forest guards, and increased protection for schools, churches, and mosques in high-risk areas.
There have also been ongoing demands from some commentators for Abubakar’s dismissal, as critics claimed he was not suitable to head the ministry.
Just hours before the news of his resignation, Tinubu held a private meeting with former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa (retired), at the State House.
Our correspondent observed Musa arriving at 7:03 p.m., wearing a dark-green northern-style traditional outfit with elbow-length sleeves, before being escorted into the President’s office wing by a senior security official.
It was his first public engagement with the President since he retired on October 24, 2025.
The purpose of the meeting could not be immediately verified, but it intensified speculation about the likely candidate to replace Abubakar as Defence Minister.
