Nigeria’s Defence Minister resigns, Tinubu to name replacement
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence Badaru Abubakar has resigned his position on President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet on health grounds. This was conveyed in a letter dated December 1 2025, addressed to the President.
The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga announced the development via a statement on Monday which said that the President had accepted the former Minister’s resignation.
“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,” the statement read.
Meanwhile the President is now set to name a new Minister of Defence this week following Abubakar’s resignation.
“President Tinubu will likely inform the Senate of Badaru’s successor later this week,” the statement added.
Abubakar having served as a two-term Governor of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023 before his appointment as Minister of Defence, is exiting his position at a sensitive moment when the nation is faced with diverse security challenges.
President Tinubu recently declared a nationwide security emergency, while unveiling new measures to bolster the nation’s security architecture and manpower, including the recruitment of additional 20,000 police officers, deployment of forest guards, among others.
Critics had in recent time contended that the former Minister was unfit to lead the Ministry of Defence in response to the rising spate of insecurity across the country, with many consistently calling for his removal and replacement.
