The Nigerian Senate is set to screen the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as the new Minister of Defence on Wednesday.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed the development in a statement issued by his Directorate on Media and Public Affairs, emphasising the importance of the exercise in maintaining internal peace and stability.
General Musa’s nomination follows the resignation of former Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru, who stepped down citing health reasons. President Bola Tinubu subsequently forwarded a letter to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, formally nominating General Musa for the ministerial position.
Senator Bamidele stated on Tuesday night that the Senate “is already in possession of the request of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to screen his defence minister nominee.”
He added that the letter “will be read on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday. Subsequently, it will immediately proceed to the screening of the nominee, consistent with Section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
Senator Bamidele stressed the urgency of the process, saying, “We cannot delay such a request, especially at this crucial time in the history of our fatherland. We are treating the request as a matter that directly touches the core interest of our nation so that the federal government can sustain its campaigns against bandits, extremists, terrorists, and other forces undermining our national security.”
He added, “Since the President has declared a State of Emergency on national security, both the Presidency and the National Assembly must work hand in hand to ensure peace, stability, and good governance. The screening of the defence minister nominee is one of the ways to demonstrate such a synergy purely in the national interest.”
