Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned from his position, citing health reasons in a letter dated December 1, 2025. President Bola Tinubu has accepted the resignation and expressed appreciation for his service.
The 63-year-old Badaru, who served as a two-term governor of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023, was appointed Minister of Defence on August 21, 2023. The President is expected to nominate a successor later this week, pending Senate confirmation.
Speculation about a cabinet change intensified following a private meeting between President Tinubu and the recently retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, just hours before Badaru’s resignation was announced. The meeting at Aso Rock Presidential Villa was Gen. Musa’s first public encounter with the President since his retirement on October 24, 2025.
Gen. Musa served as Nigeria’s 18th Chief of Defence Staff from June 2023 until October 2025, when he was replaced by General Olufemi Oluyede. During his tenure, he was widely credited with leading major restructuring and modernisation efforts in the military, and he emphasized civil-military cooperation. Originally from Kaduna State, Musa gained prominence as Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, leading counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram in the North-East.
The resignation occurs against a backdrop of escalating security concerns across Nigeria, particularly in the North. Recent incidents include the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi, attacks in Kwara, and the kidnapping of Catholic schoolchildren in Minna.
President Tinubu recently declared a national security emergency, with plans to elaborate on its scope in the coming days. The timing of Badaru’s departure has led to questions about whether health concerns were the sole reason, given the mounting security challenges facing the nation.
