By Amofokhai Williams
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned from his post with immediate effect, citing health concerns.
The surprise development was confirmed in a statement from the Presidency on Monday.
In a letter dated December 1 and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the 63-year-old former governor of Jigawa State tendered his resignation.
President Tinubu has accepted the decision and expressed gratitude for Abubakar’s service to the nation.
Abubakar, a two-term governor from 2015 to 2023, was appointed to lead the crucial defence portfolio just over a year ago, on August 21, 2023.
His tenure, therefore, spanned approximately 15 months, a period marked by sustained military engagements against insurgency, banditry, and other security challenges across the country.
The resignation comes at a sensitive juncture in Nigeria’s security landscape. Only recently, President Tinubu declared a national security emergency, with plans to detail its scope and new measures in the coming days.
The timing raises immediate questions about continuity and the strategic direction of the country’s defence architecture during this critical period.
“The President has accepted the Honourable Minister’s resignation and thanks him for his services,” said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in the brief statement.
The incoming minister will inherit the immediate responsibility of steering the implementation of the president’s impending security emergency plan.
The role demands not only managing the armed forces but also coordinating with national security advisors and service chiefs amid persistent threats.
