New details have surfaced regarding the sudden resignation of former Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down after only two years in office.
While Badaru cited health concerns as the reason for stepping down, sources indicate that a protracted cold war between him and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, played a significant role in his decision to resign.
Badaru officially resigned on Monday, with President Bola Tinubu swiftly appointing retired General Christopher Musa, the former Chief of Defence Staff, as the new Minister of Defence.
In a statement, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Badaru resigned due to poor health.
However, investigative findings by Saturday Punch suggest that the real reason behind Badaru’s resignation was a long-standing conflict between him and Matawalle.
Badaru, who was appointed on August 21, 2023, after completing his two terms as Jigawa State governor, was brought in primarily for his administrative experience and regional influence in the North West, a region plagued by escalating banditry and insurgency.
Upon his appointment, Badaru was expected to focus on military modernisation, intelligence reforms, and counter-terrorism operations.
Matawalle, who was appointed on the same day to serve as the Minister of State for Defence, was meant to support Badaru in executing defence policies.
However, tensions between the two men have risen in recent weeks as the security situation in the country worsened. The resurgence of banditry and terrorism, coupled with mass abductions of schoolchildren, put enormous pressure on the Defence Ministry.
The student kidnappings and the worsening insecurity led to heightened public and global scrutiny, especially following the declaration of a nationwide security emergency by President Tinubu.
The international community, particularly the Trump administration, also put pressure on Nigeria’s leadership. In late October, the U.S. re-designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over the mass killings of Christians allegedly linked to insurgents in the country.
Faced with mounting public outrage, some analysts and citizens began calling for Badaru’s removal. This pressure ultimately led to his resignation on December 1, with health concerns publicly cited as the official reason.
In interviews with Saturday Punch, several military sources within the Defence Ministry claimed that Badaru’s resignation was not entirely due to health reasons but rather a culmination of his strained relationship with Matawalle.
An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that while the two ministers maintained a cordial public relationship, their private interactions were marked by tension.
“Matawalle and Badaru had a frosty relationship for most of the period he was minister, although they appeared cool with each other in public. But it is a known fact here that they had something against themselves,” the official said.
According to him, the tension affected some aspects of the ministry’s work, including media coordination.
“This affected some of their work. Even as a journalist, does the media unit look coordinated to you? Was this how it was being run before they came?
“Pairing the two together as ministers is something that ought not to have happened in the first place,” he added.
Another military source said it was believed that Matawale had a strong relationship with the presidency and was becoming domineering within the ministry.
The source noted that some party leaders within the All Progressives Congress considered Matawale as a political asset for the current administration, particularly within the north-western parts of the country.
“Matawale is from Zamfara State, and he has a very strong political presence in the state. The APC leaders see him as an asset for the 2027 election. So, they’re always on his side. He has the political backing and connection.
“But Badaru is weak, politically. The presidency does not actually reckon with him when it comes to power play and politics,” the source explained.
