Badaru Abubakar, Does The Expected, Resigns As Defence Minister

By Adesina Soyooye

Badaru Abubakar, Monday night, finally, did what not a few people had, especially, since the last two months, expected him to do.He handed in his letter of resignation from office as Minister of Defence to President Bola Tinubu. Abubakar cited health reasons.

His welcome resignation came in the midst of the worst security crisis which has engulfed the country, and forced President Bola Tinubu to announce a national emergency on security. It also came hours after President Tinubu, for the first time since he removed him from office as Chief of Defence Staff on October 24, met in the Villa with General Christopher Musa, rtd. It was also the day a national daily, The Punch, in a strongly worded Editorial, urged Tinubu to remove Abubakar from office.

Minister Abubakar has, since, been adjudged by not a few people as unfit for the office. Since his appointment, and especially, since the worsening insecurity, and more especially, these past three weeks which have been riddled with terrorists’ invasion of schools and Churches and the resultant abductions of hundreds and killing of dozens, Badaru has been, absent, almost missing in action. There have been no statements from him and no visits to the most affected States. Instead, it is the Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle, who has been a little active, and, he it was who the President sent to Kebbi in the wake of the abduction of 25 students of the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga and the killing of their Vice Principal and the school’s security guard.

An announcement from Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Mr President has accepted Abubakar’s resignation.

Part of the announcement read: “In a letter dated December 1 sent to President Bola Tinubu, Abubakar said he was quitting on health grounds.

“President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation.

“President Tinubu will likely inform the Senate of Badaru’s successor later this week.”

Badaru Abubakar was a two-term Governor of Jigawa State. He served from 2015 to 2023, and was appointed Minister for Defence on August 21, 2023.

It is not known, yet, who President Tinubu would appoint as his replacement, but retired General Musa’s meeting with him on Monday has sparked speculations that he could be the one.

Tinubu had been criticised for appointing two people with no Military background to man the Defence Ministry at the time when Nigeria is security-very- challenged.