𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐱-𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝

Fresh details have emerged on why former Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, suddenly resigned after two years in office, despite publicly attributing his exit to health concerns.

Although the presidency announced that Badaru stepped down due to “poor health,” investigations revealed that a long-running rift between him and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, heavily influenced his decision. The quiet conflict, which had been managed away from the media, reportedly grew tense in recent months.

President Bola Tinubu subsequently swore in former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (retd.), as the new Defence Minister. Badaru, who joined the Federal Executive Council in August 2023 after serving two terms as Jigawa governor, was initially appointed for his administrative strength and regional influence in the North-West.

The region continues to face security challenges, making unity within the Defence Ministry essential — a factor sources say further complicated the prolonged friction between both ministers.