By Faith Chondol
The Nigerian Senate will today, Wednesday, commence the screening of the newly appointed Service Chiefs following a formal request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The development comes after the President’s letter seeking confirmation of the new military heads was read on the Senate floor during Tuesday’s plenary session by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In the letter, President Tinubu urged the lawmakers to expedite the screening and confirmation process, citing the country’s prevailing security challenges and the need for the new appointees to assume duty immediately.
After reading the letter, Akpabio referred the matter to the Committee of the Whole and proposed that the screening be conducted without delay. The motion was subsequently adopted through a voice vote, with senators responding with a resounding “aye.”
President Tinubu had on Monday met with the newly appointed Service Chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Those in attendance included the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Major General W. Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral I. Abbas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye.
The appointments were announced earlier in the week through an official statement signed by Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication. Tinubu stated that the changes were part of his administration’s efforts to “strengthen Nigeria’s national security architecture.”
The reshuffle followed heightened tension within the military, including reports of an alleged coup plot and the secret detention of 16 senior military officers by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the detained officers were linked to investigations into potential disloyalty among senior ranks.
General Olufemi Oluyede replaced General Christopher Musa as Chief of Defence Staff, while Major General W. Shaibu, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas were appointed as Chiefs of Army, Air, and Naval Staff respectively. Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence—a move analysts describe as significant, given the DIA’s central role in ongoing investigations related to the alleged coup plot.
The Senate’s prompt response signals a commitment to ensuring continuity in military leadership amid growing concerns over insurgency, banditry, and other security threats across the country.
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