By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Presidency has shed more light on the rationale behind President Bola Tinubu’s decision to dismiss and replace the country’s service chiefs.
Dispelling speculations that the shake-up in the military was tied to an alleged coup attempt, the Presidency described the move as part of the President’s effort to “inject new direction” into Nigeria’s defence structure.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu acted fully within his constitutional powers.
“Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President. He is the Commander-in-Chief. He has the power to hire and fire,” Onanuga told The Punch.
On Friday, the President had announced a major overhaul of the military leadership.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, Tinubu named General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa.
The statement further read: “The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu; Air Vice Marshall S.K. Aneke is Chief of Air Staff; while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retains his position.”
President Tinubu urged the new military leaders to live up to expectations by demonstrating the professionalism, vigilance, and unity that define the Nigerian Armed Forces. The appointments, Dare added, took immediate effect.
The reshuffle came just a week after Sahara Reporters published a story alleging that some officers were plotting to overthrow the Tinubu administration.
The viral report, dated October 19, linked the detention of 16 military personnel to the supposed coup attempt and claimed that the cancellation of the Independence Day military parade was meant to quell unrest within the ranks.
But the Defence Headquarters swiftly dismissed the publication.
In a statement issued by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the military described the claims as “false and intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”
Gusau clarified that the parade cancellation was “purely administrative” and the detained officers were being probed for “issues of indiscipline.” He reaffirmed that the armed forces remain loyal to the Constitution and to the President.
Despite the official explanation, the timing of the leadership changes — coming days after the coup allegations — has continued to stir public curiosity.
Addressing the rumours, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi, stated that the decision came after two years of continuous service by the former chiefs.
He said the President’s move was aimed at “injecting new direction, vision, vigour and energy” into the military, not reacting to any alleged coup.
“This is not a reaction to any rumour of coups. He is exercising his powers. The service chiefs have done two years,” Ajayi told The Punch.
“We are fighting security issues — Boko Haram in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, IPOB and ESN in the South-East, kidnapping in the South-West, and other crises in the North-Central,” he added.
Ajayi also pointed out that the administration’s decision was in line with the law, stressing the heavy toll of security spending on the national budget.
“In the last 15 years, look at our national budget — security taking the largest chunk. The President wants to deal with this matter once and for all, so that the money going into defence expenditure will be better deployed to fund critical infrastructure like power, roads, broadband, education, and healthcare,” he said.
He added that all government appointees serve at the discretion of the President.
“Every appointee of government, whether you are minister, head of agency, or service chief, serves at the pleasure of the President. Nobody has a secure tenure. The only two people in the Federal Government who have a guarantee of tenure are the President and the Vice President,” Ajayi explained.