Exclusive details have emerged on the reason behind the shocking resignation of former Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, after only two years in office.
Recall that Badaru resigned his position on Monday, citing health concerns.
Following his resignation, General Christopher Musa (retd.), a former Chief of Defence Staff, was sworn in as the next Minister of Defence by President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, announced Badaru’s retirement, citing “poor health” as the reason.
However, according to information obtained by sources, the former minister was allegedly forced to step down after a protracted cold war with Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, which had been meticulously concealed from the public for months.
Join our WhatsApp group
Months after serving two terms as governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru was appointed on August 21, 2023.
According to reports, his selection was based on his administrative experience and regional clout in the North West, an area dealing with growing insurgency and banditry.
Badaru was reported to have given military modernisation, intelligence reforms, and counterterrorism operations top priority after taking the oath of office alongside other ministers.
On the same day, Tinubu also named Matawalle to assist senior minister Badaru in carrying out defence policy.
However, the two men have been under heavy public scrutiny in recent weeks due to the return of terror and bandit acts, which led Tinubu to proclaim a national security emergency.
The worsening insecurity snowballed into mass abductions of schoolchildren, with dozens of pupils and students kidnapped across several northern states.
The worsening insecurity crisis also renewed global scrutiny of Nigeria’s security posture, especially from the Trump administration which, in late October, re-designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over the alleged mass killing of Christians.
Amid mounting public outrage, the defence minister tendered his resignation on December 1.
The former defence minister, Mohammed Badaru was under increased criticism as a result of the student kidnappings; some commentators called for his dismissal on the grounds that he was not successfully leading the ministry.
Join our WhatsApp group
Credible military sources in the defence ministry also confirmed to sources in separate interviews that Mohammed Badaru’s long-standing hostility with Matawalle—rather than health issues—was what finally drove him out.
An official of the ministry, who spoke on the condition of requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the two ministers maintained a cordial appearance in public but had a “frosty relationship” behind the scenes.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
