The newly appointed service chiefs of Nigeria arrived at the National Assembly on Wednesday for their screening by the Senate, signaling the start of a new chapter in the nation’s security leadership.
President Bola Tinubu had announced the appointments on October 24, 2025, and urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process to ensure continuity and effective coordination of Nigeria’s security architecture.
Arriving at the National Assembly Complex around 10 a.m., the service chiefs were accompanied by senior military officials.
Senate President Godwill Akpabio read a correspondence from President Tinubu requesting the confirmation of General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
Akpabio emphasised that the accelerated screening was necessary to allow the military chiefs to assume their duties immediately.
The reshuffle, which President Tinubu enacted last week, replaced General Christopher Musa with General Oluyede as CDS.
Other appointments include Major-General W. Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S. K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retains his position. All appointments take effect immediately.
General Oluyede, who had assumed the role of Chief of Army Staff last year following the death of General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, now steps into the top military leadership role, succeeding General Musa.
The outgoing service chiefs, including General Musa, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and Air Marshal Bala Abubakar, have been in office since June 2023.
During their tenure, they oversaw critical operations against Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed bandits across the North-East and North-West.
Despite notable successes, the ongoing security challenges intensified calls for a leadership change to adopt fresh strategies.
Critics have speculated that the shake-up in the military hierarchy may be linked to an alleged coup attempt, though this remained unconfirmed.
The screening process by the Senate is expected to conclude swiftly, as the President and legislative leadership push for an uninterrupted transition in the nation’s defense command structure.
More updates will follow as the confirmation process progresses.
