Senate to Screen Tinubu’s Newly Appointed Service Chiefs Today

Nigeria’s Senate is set to screen and potentially confirm the service chiefs nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today (Wednesday), as part of ongoing moves to reinforce the nation’s security structure.

During Tuesday’s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a letter from President Tinubu requesting the lawmakers to give “urgent and thorough consideration” to the nominations.

The nominees include General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Waidi 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 President subsequently referred the President’s request to the Committee of the Whole, which will conduct the screening and confirmation exercise later today.

This development follows a private meeting between President Tinubu and the newly appointed service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, less than two days ago. The meeting marked his first formal engagement with the new military hierarchy since last Friday’s broad restructuring of the armed forces — a move the Presidency described as a step toward “revamping Nigeria’s security architecture.”

President Tinubu commended the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and other retired military leaders for their service and commitment to the nation. He urged the new appointees to demonstrate integrity, discipline, and unity in carrying out their duties.

According to the Presidency, the confirmation of the new military heads is expected to improve coordination among security agencies and strengthen operations against terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes across the country.

In a related event on Tuesday, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, received the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff and the three service chiefs during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Abuja. The visit marked their first official engagement with the minister since their appointments.

The shake-up within the military top ranks follows ongoing public speculation about an alleged coup attempt, linked to the detention of several senior officers and the cancellation of the Independence Day parade on October 1. Although the Defence Headquarters has dismissed the claims as false and baseless, discussions have continued over the timing of the leadership changes.

Meanwhile, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Federal Government to be more transparent about the circumstances surrounding the alleged coup plot and the recent overhaul in the military command.