President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has requested the Senate to confirm his newly appointed Service Chiefs following a major shake-up in Nigeria’s military leadership.
In a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary, President Tinubu urged lawmakers to give “expeditious consideration” to the appointments to ensure continuity in the nation’s defence operations.
The nominees include General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General Waheedi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Major-General Emmanuel Undiendeye as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
The Senate has referred the president’s request to the Committee of the Whole for screening and confirmation of the nominees next week.
A few days prior, President Tinubu had announced a reshuffle in the military hierarchy, relieving General Christopher Musa of his duties as Chief of Defence Staff and appointing Oluyede, a former Chief of Army Staff, as his replacement. Major-General Undiendeye was retained as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
According to presidential aide Sunday Dare, the restructuring was aimed at strengthening the national security architecture, with all appointments taking immediate effect.
Meanwhile, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the president to clarify the motive behind the reshuffle. In a statement signed by the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern over recent developments in neighbouring countries and their implications for Nigeria’s security.
“Our position remains that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened. As an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy,” the statement read.