Abuja, Nigeria – December 2, 2025 – Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned with immediate effect, marking the first major cabinet departure in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The resignation was formally communicated in a letter dated December 1, 2025, and addressed to President Tinubu. In the letter, Badaru cited health grounds as the reason for stepping down. The President has accepted the resignation and expressed gratitude for Badaru’s service to the nation.
The announcement was made public through an official State House press release issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on the evening of December 1. Onanuga stated that President Tinubu will transmit the name of Badaru’s successor to the Senate for confirmation later this week.
Badaru Abubakar, 63, served as the two-term governor of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023 before his appointment as Minister of Defence on August 21, 2023. A successful businessman turned politician, he was widely regarded as a calm and methodical administrator who prioritized agricultural development and infrastructure during his governorship.
The resignation comes at a particularly sensitive moment. Just days earlier, President Tinubu declared a national security emergency in response to a sharp surge in mass abductions, banditry, and terrorist activities across multiple regions. High-profile incidents in recent weeks include the kidnapping of over 300 students from a school in Niger State, the abduction of 87 pupils in Kaduna, and deadly ambushes on highways and villages in Zamfara and Katsina states.
Security analysts note that Nigeria is currently experiencing one of its most intense waves of insecurity since the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency a decade ago. Armed criminal gangs, locally referred to as bandits, have expanded their operations from cattle rustling into large-scale kidnapping for ransom, often targeting schools and rural communities. The United Nations estimates that more than 3.5 million Nigerians remain internally displaced due to conflict.
During his 16-month tenure as Defence Minister, Badaru oversaw several initiatives aimed at modernizing the armed forces and improving coordination among security agencies. These included increased defence spending in the 2025 budget, the acquisition of new military hardware, and the expansion of non-kinetic approaches such as the rehabilitation of repentant insurgents. Supporters credit him with maintaining relative stability in the Northeast, where Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP remain active but significantly degraded compared to previous years.
However, critics argue that the security situation in the Northwest and Northcentral zones deteriorated markedly under his watch, with kidnapping evolving into a lucrative criminal industry. Some opposition voices and civil society groups have questioned whether the official reason of “health grounds” fully explains the timing of the resignation, though no evidence has emerged to support claims of discord with the President.
Public reaction on social media has been intense, with #BadaruResigns trending nationwide within hours of the announcement. While many Nigerians expressed sympathy and wished the former minister a speedy recovery, others used the moment to renew demands for more decisive action against insecurity.
As of now, no official shortlist for Badaru’s replacement has been released, but informed sources suggest that President Tinubu is considering candidates with strong military or security backgrounds to signal a tougher stance in the ongoing national emergency. Among the names circulating in political circles is that of the recently retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, who stepped down in October 2025.
For the moment, the Ministry of Defence will be overseen by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, until a substantive appointment is confirmed by the Senate.
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar departs national office after a political career spanning more than a decade. In a brief remark to journalists outside his residence in Dutse, Jigawa State, he said: “I thank Mr. President for the opportunity to serve and I pray for peace and progress for our dear country.”
Nigeria now awaits President Tinubu’s next move in what has become the most critical portfolio in his administration at a time of profound national challenge.
