By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
President Bola Tinubu on Monday night held a closed-door meeting with the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (retd.), at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid growing national security concerns and the sudden resignation of Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
Musa, who was retired by the President on October 24, was seen arriving the State House at about 7:03 pm, in what marked his first public engagement with Tinubu since his exit from service.
The purpose of the meeting was not immediately disclosed.
The development came just as Badaru tendered his resignation as Minister of Defence. In a statement issued by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, the minister cited health challenges in a letter addressed to the President dated December 1.
“President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation,” Onanuga said, adding that the President is expected to notify the Senate of a successor later in the week.
Badaru, 63, a former two-term governor of Jigawa State, was appointed minister on August 21, 2023. His exit coincides with heightened insecurity across parts of the North, including the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi, the attack on worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, and the kidnapping of Catholic schoolchildren in Minna. Security agencies have intensified counter-terrorism and anti-kidnapping operations across the North-West and North-Central in response.
The resignation also comes as President Tinubu recently declared a national security emergency, with further details expected to be unveiled soon.
General Musa’s meeting with the President, occurring on the same day as Badaru’s departure, has further stirred interest within security and political circles, though the Presidency has yet to comment on whether both events are connected.
