Revealed: The Real Reasons Behind Ex-Defence Minister Badaru’s Resignation

Information on the abrupt departure of former Defense Minister Badaru Abubakar after just two years in office has surfaced.

Although Badaru stated that health issues were the cause for his resignation, sources suggest that a long-running cold war between him and Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, was a major factor.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu promptly appointed retired General Christopher Musa, the former Chief of Defense Staff, as the new Minister of Defense after Badaru formally resigned on Monday.

The President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, acknowledged in a statement that Badaru’s resignation was due to ill health.

But according to Saturday Punch’s investigation, Badaru’s resignation was actually due to a long-standing disagreement with Matawalle.

After serving two terms as governor of Jigawa State, Badaru was appointed on August 21, 2023, mostly because of his administrative background and regional clout in the North West, an area beset by growing banditry and terrorism.

Badaru was supposed to concentrate on counterterrorism activities, intelligence reforms, and military modernization after being appointed.

In order to assist Badaru in carrying out defense programs, Matawalle was named the same day as the Minister of State for Defense.

But as the nation’s security situation deteriorated in recent weeks, tensions between the two men increased. The Defence Ministry was under tremendous strain due to the rise in terrorism and banditry as well as the widespread kidnappings of youngsters.

Public and international scrutiny increased as a result of the student abductions and the growing insecurity, particularly after President Tinubu declared a national security emergency.

Nigeria’s leadership is also under pressure from the international community, especially the Trump administration. Due to the widespread murders of Christians in Nigeria that were purportedly connected to terrorists, the United States re-designated the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” in late October.

As public indignation grew, some analysts and citizens started advocating for Badaru’s dismissal. He finally resigned on December 1st, citing health issues as the official reason, as a result of this pressure.

Behind-the-Scenes Tensions: Sources
According to many military insiders in the Defense Ministry who spoke with Saturday Punch, Badaru’s departure was a result of his tense relationship with Matawalle rather than just health issues.

The two ministers had a friendly public relationship, but their private meetings were tense, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Although they seemed to get along well in public, Matawalle and Badaru had a chilly relationship for the most of his tenure as minister. However, the official stated, “It is a known fact here that they had something against themselves.”

He claimed that certain facets of the ministry’s operations, such as media coordination, were impacted by the conflict.

Part of their work was impacted by this. Do you think the media unit is coordinated, even as a journalist? Was it operating in this manner prior to their arrival?

“It should not have happened in the first place to pair the two as ministers,” he continued.

According to a second military source, Matawale was thought to have a close relationship with the president and was starting to take control of the ministry.

According to the source, several All Progressives Congress party leaders saw Matawale as a political asset for the current administration, especially in the country’s northwest.

Matawale has a significant political influence in Zamfara State, where he is a native. For the 2027 election, the APC leaders saw him as a valuable asset. Thus, they consistently support him. He has connections and political support.

But politically, Badaru is weak. When it comes to politics and power struggles, the president does not really take him into consideration, the insider clarified.