Dare Babalola
Jackson Lekan Ojo, a security expert and certified golden member of the International Security Association, has stated that it is not premature to demand the resignation of Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa
Recall that a northern pressure group, Arewa Youths, recently called on President Bola Tinubu to sack the Minister over the spate of insecurity in the region.
President of the group, Abdul Danbature, made th call in an interview posted on News Century TV on Wednesday.
He alleged that the minister is acting more like a social media content creator rather than a General, adding that more military personnel have been killed under his watch than any previous Defence Minister.
“We are calling for Christopher Musa’s resignation. He needs to vacate that seat and allow someone who is competent to come and lead the Ministry of Defense,” Danbature said.
Although, the Coalition of Arewa Youths for Peace and Security, in a statement jointly signed by its President, Dr. Mohamed Jallo, and Secretary, Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim, denounced what it called ‘reckless and unwarranted remarks’ by Danbature, several other social media posts and videos shows that some northern youths share the same sentiments with Danbature.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Musa as Defence Minister on December 2, 2025. He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office on December 4, 2025, replacing Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar
In an interview with Newstellers on Friday, Ojo expressed disappointment with the performance of Musa 99 days after he was sworn in as the country’s Defence Minister.
He said, “We all applauded his appointment, but some of us that security expert analysed that being the Minister of Defence is just the defense administrator, he is no longer in charge of the command and control of the military.
“He is no longer directly in charge of the command and control, he is no longer in charge of the arms and ammunitions, he is no longer in charge of the battlefield. He is just an administrator, and there is a way that, if he pokenose too much in the command and control of the military, the people might sabotage his effort.
“Calling for his sack now, honestly, it is not too early, and there is no time that it will be too late. If you send your faulty car to a mechanic, and for the period of one or two months, the mechanic has not been able to fix your car. You test your car, it is generating more faults, what do you do? You have to withdraw it from that mechanic until you get a mechanic that can fix it, or that can diagnose it and fix it.”
Ojo emphasised that the calls for Musa’s sack are not driven by tribalism or religion, but rather by the need for effective leadership to address the country’s security challenges.
“I’m one of those people on national daily, on TV and radio that applauded his appointment. But let me not deceive you, I have not seen any change at all. It is getting worse,” he said.
He added, “And again, why didn’t these people call for his sack when he was the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)? So did they forget that he was a Christian, that they were not calling for his sack. No.
“So religion sentiment, people will want to put it in at least to score a point, those are the people that are supporting Christopher Musa. He was still a Northerner. He was still a Christian. They did not call for his sack at that time.”
The security expert also criticised Ribadu’s role, stating that his position is largely advisory and that he does not have direct control over any military, security, or paramilitary agencies.
“Ribadu is occupying an advisory office, not an operational office, not an administrative office. As far as defense of this country is concerned, he is more of a spokesperson,” Ojo said.
The security expert urged Nigerians to demand accountability from the government and to call for the resignation of Musa and Ribadu if they are unable to effectively address the country’s security challenges.
He concluded, “So to me, by my own assessment as a security expert of global repute, I don’t see what Christopher Musa is still doing as a minister of defence. I don’t see what the Nuhu Ribadu is still doing as the National Security Adviser.
“Ribadu is more of a spokesperson. Musa too now, since he has become a civilian now and Minister of Defence, he is now releasing his oratory prowess. He speaks now more than the actions. We don’t want the National Security Advisor or the Minister of Defence to be so lousy, to be so loquacious.”
