Report: Why ex defence minister Badaru really resigned
Fresh details have emerged suggesting that former Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, was pressured to resign not only over health concerns but also because of a long running rift with Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and mounting criticism of his handling of insecurity. Badaru, who was appointed defence minister in August 2023 after serving two terms as Jigawa State governor, formally resigned on Monday after about two years in office, with the Presidency announcing that he stepped down due to “poor health”, while President Bola Tinubu immediately swore in former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (retd.), as his replacement. However, multiple senior defence ministry and military sources told Saturday Punch that a “frosty relationship” between Badaru and Matawalle had quietly destabilised parts of the ministry’s work for months, even though both men maintained a cordial […]
