President Bola Tinubu is set to name a new Minister of Defence this week after the sudden resignation of the incumbent, Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down on health grounds.

Abubakar, 63, formally conveyed his resignation in a letter dated December 1, which was addressed to the President. The development was confirmed in a statement issued Monday evening by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

“In a letter dated December 1, sent to President Bola Tinubu, Abubakar indicated that he was resigning on health grounds,” the statement read. “President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation. The President will likely inform the Senate of his successor later this week.”

Abubakar, a two-term governor of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023, was appointed Minister of Defence on August 21, 2023. His resignation comes at a critical time as the administration contends with rising insecurity, prompting a nationwide security emergency and the introduction of new measures, including the recruitment of 20,000 police officers, deployment of forest guards, and heightened protection for schools, churches, and mosques.

Prior to the announcement, President Tinubu met privately with former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), at the State House. Musa, dressed in dark-green northern-style traditional attire, was seen arriving at 7:03 p.m. and was led into the President’s office wing by a senior security official. This marked his first public engagement with the President since his retirement on October 24, 2025, fueling speculation about his potential role in the Defence Ministry.