Tinubu to Announce New Defence Minister as Badaru Resigns

Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has officially resigned from office.

The announcement was made by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement released to the public.

According to Onanuga, the resignation was conveyed in a letter dated December 1 and addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In the letter, Badaru stated that he was stepping down on “health grounds.”

President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and expressed gratitude for Badaru’s service to the nation.

A new Defence Minister is expected to be announced soon, with President Tinubu likely to notify the Senate later this week.

Badaru Abubakar, 63, served as governor of Jigawa state from 2015 to 2023. He was appointed as a minister on August 21, 2023, by President Tinubu.

His resignation comes amid President Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency, with plans to elaborate on its scope in due course.