By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned from office.
The development was announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement released on Sunday.
According to Onanuga, the minister tendered his resignation in a letter dated 1 December and addressed to President Bola Tinubu. In the correspondence, Abubakar stated that he was stepping aside strictly on health grounds.
“The minister explained that his decision was based on health reasons,” Onanuga disclosed, noting that President Tinubu had accepted the resignation and expressed appreciation for Abubakar’s service to the country.
The President is expected to notify the Senate of a nominee to replace the outgoing minister later this week.
Badaru Abubakar, aged 63, previously served as governor of Jigawa State between 2015 and 2023 before his appointment as Minister of Defence on 21 August 2023.
His resignation comes at a time when the administration is intensifying its security agenda, following President Tinubu’s recent declaration of a national security emergency.