Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned from his position, citing health reasons.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development in a statement released on Monday night.
Badaru in the letter, cited poor health as the reason for stepping down from his position, as President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and appreciated his service to the nation.
President Tinubu is expected to nominate Badaru’s replacement and forward the name to the Senate for screening and approval.
The 63 year old, who served as a two-term Governor of Jigawa state between 2015 and 2023, was appointed as a minister by President Tinubu on August 21, 2023.
His resignation according to reports, comes amid the President declaration of a national security emergency, with plans to elaborate on its scope in due course.
Reacting to the development in a social media post, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore claimed that President Tinubu ordered the Minister to step aside to make room for former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa to be appointed as the new Defence Minister.
Sowore also alleged that the United States military is pressing for the removal of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, accusing him of having links to bandits in Zamfara and cited serious concerns over intelligence sharing and collaboration.
