Human rights advocate Omoyele Sowore has claimed that President Bola Tinubu directed Mohammed Badaru Abubakar to resign as Nigeria’s Defence Minister, contrary to the official explanation that the resignation was due to health reasons.
In a Facebook post, Sowore alleged that the real motive behind Abubakar’s exit was to clear the path for the appointment of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to the top defence post. According to Sowore, “Abubakar was asked by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step aside to make room for former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa to be appointed Defence Minister”.
The resignation, which was officially confirmed on Monday, has not yet been addressed publicly by the Presidency beyond the health-related explanation. However, Sowore’s claims suggest a deeper political reshuffle within the defence leadership.
Sowore also alleged that the Nigerian government is facing external pressure to remove the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle. He claimed that the United States military, under President Donald Trump’s administration, has raised concerns about Matawalle’s effectiveness, particularly in matters of intelligence cooperation and national security coordination.
“There are also strong indications that US President Donald Trump’s United States military is pressing for the removal of the equally ineffective and utterly useless Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, citing serious concerns over intelligence sharing and collaboration,” Sowore wrote.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Presidency or the Ministry of Defence regarding these allegations. The public awaits confirmation on whether General Christopher Musa will indeed be appointed as the new Defence Minister and whether further changes in the defence leadership are imminent.
Leave a comment