The Presidency has provided more clarification regarding the dismissal and replacement of the country’s service chiefs.
Denying that the military reshuffle was connected to any alleged coup plot, the Presidency stated that it was intended to “inject new direction” into the armed forces.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told the media on Saturday that President Tinubu acted within his authority to make leadership changes in the military.
“Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President. He is the Commander-in-Chief. He has the power to hire and fire,” Onanuga said.
On Friday, the President announced major changes in the military hierarchy.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, revealed that General Olufemi Oluyede had been appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa.
It further stated, “The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu; Air Vice Marshall S.K. Aneke is Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retains his position.”
President Tinubu urged the new service chiefs to justify the confidence placed in them by improving professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship within Nigeria’s Armed Forces.
Dare added that the appointments took immediate effect.
The decision came barely a week after an online news platform published a report alleging that some military officers had plotted to remove President Tinubu from power.
The report, which circulated widely on 19 October, linked the detention of sixteen military officers to the supposed coup and claimed that the cancellation of the Independence Day military parade was part of measures to prevent internal unrest within the armed forces.
However, the Defence Headquarters dismissed the claim.
In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the military described the report as “false and intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”
Gusau clarified that the cancellation of the Independence Day parade was “purely administrative” and that the detained officers were being investigated for “issues of indiscipline.”
He emphasised that the armed forces remained loyal to the Constitution and to the President.
Nevertheless, the timing of the removal of the service chiefs, which came only days after the coup allegation, has continued to arouse public suspicion.
Responding to the speculation, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi, explained that the move followed two years of continuous operations under the previous military leaders.
He stated that the decision reflected the President’s desire “to inject new direction, vision, vigour and energy” into the armed forces.
“This is not a reaction to any rumour of coups. He is exercising his powers. The service chiefs have done two years,” Ajayi said on Saturday.
“We are fighting security issues — Boko Haram in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, IPOB and ESN in the South-East, kidnapping in the South-West, and other crises in the North-Central,” he added.
Ajayi stressed that the President’s decision was lawful.
He also pointed out that the country’s huge spending on security in recent years had reduced funds available for other key sectors.
“In the last 15 years, look at our national budget — security taking the largest chunk. The President wants to deal with this matter once and for all, so that the money going into defence expenditure will be better deployed to fund critical infrastructure like power, roads, broadband, education, and healthcare,” he said.
Ajayi further noted that the President’s action was consistent with the constitutional provision that all appointees serve at the President’s discretion.
“Every appointee of government, whether you are minister, head of agency, or service chief, serves at the pleasure of the President. Nobody has a secure tenure. The only two people in the federal government who have a guarantee of tenure are the President and the Vice President,” he stated.
Despite the explanations, speculation linking the reshuffle to the alleged coup report has continued to spread.
A senior security operative attached to one of the intelligence agencies said that those connecting the changes in the military leadership to the rumoured coup “have a point.”
“Information about the matter is not something you can easily get. The official statement of the military is that there was nothing like a coup attempt, and we stay with that.
“However, those trying to connect the removal of the service chiefs to the denied coup plot also have a point. People will definitely add two and two together and form their opinions,” he said.
On X, many Nigerians also drew links between the timing of the announcement and reports of arrests within the military.
Ikechukwu Ude wrote, “There were rumours of a military coup last week, and today some of the military service chiefs were sacked. Although the rumour was debunked, it seems to be true right now, given the sack of service chiefs. No civilian with zero capacity can stop military generals if they intend to change any government.”
Another user, Muduwa Kerra, stated that the dismissal of the service chiefs indicated how close the nation had come to a coup.
Likewise, Abraham Uyanna questioned, “If there wasn’t an attempted coup, why is there a sudden change of service chiefs?”
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress has called on President Tinubu to explain the reason for replacing the country’s military leadership.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said, “We note that nearly all the service chiefs that have been removed were appointed only 28 months ago, with the current Chief of Defence Staff himself appointed just a year ago as Chief of Army Staff.
“We also note that this kind of decision has serious and far-reaching implications for stability within the ranks and therefore could not have been taken without strong reasons. Our position remains, therefore, that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened.
“As an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy. In the light of developments in our neighbourhood of Chad and the Sahel States, we are gravely concerned.”
The ADC added that such an extensive overhaul of the nation’s military leadership was likely to fuel further rumours and conspiracy theories rather than calm them.
Security analysts have also expressed differing opinions regarding the appointments.
A former Director of Legal Services in the Nigerian Army, Colonel Yomi Dare (retired), described the appointments as a morale booster.
He said, “There is no security implication other than that the outgone officers have done their bit. The new service chiefs, by virtue of their appointment, must now be motivated to work effectively. They should assess what their predecessors achieved and, in unspoken words, learn from what they did and failed to do.”
Similarly, a former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, observed that although the President had the constitutional authority to make such appointments, the real challenge lay in funding and operational difficulties.
“For me, changing the service chiefs might not necessarily change anything because they have all been working under very difficult situations,” he said.
“We should also not forget that they are operating under serious financial constraints. People say this year’s budget is the highest in terms of defence, but has it been implemented? The funds have not been released, so they are working in a very tough environment.”
Ejiofor advised the federal government to ensure timely release of funds and promote stronger coordination among the security agencies.
“A foundation has already been laid by the former service chiefs, so the new ones should consolidate on the gains made by their predecessors,” he added.
In his view, security analyst Akogun-Abudu Oluwamayowa criticised both the timing and the necessity of the reshuffle.
“What is happening in this country in terms of insecurity is not about changing the service chiefs. One of the problems we are facing is that we do not have perimeter fencing. People from other countries come into our country without barriers, wreaking havoc. The change may not be effective when major issues are not tackled,” he said.
He urged the new military leaders to make the welfare of their soldiers their top priority.
“The best welfare for soldiers is not training but their well-being. Their salaries are not even enough. These people are really suffering. I advise that these new service chiefs fight for the soldiers and pay attention to their welfare,” he said.
