The newly appointed service chiefs have arrived at the national assembly for screening by the senate and house of representatives.
On October 24, President Bola Tinubu appointed Olufemi Oluyede, a lieutenant general, as the chief of defence staff; Waidi Shaibu, a major general, as chief of army staff; and Sunday Kelvin Aneke, an air vice marshal, as the chief of air staff.
He also named Idi Abbas, rear admiral, as chief of naval staff, while Emmanuel Akomaye Undiandeye, a major general, retained his position as chief of defence intelligence.
Tinubu sacked the previous service chiefs following growing public pressure for improved security outcomes, as the country continues to grapple with terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes across multiple regions.
On Tuesday, the president asked the senate to “expeditiously” screen and confirm the newly appointed service chiefs.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter during Tuesday’s plenary.
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, also read the president’s correspondence during Wednesday’s plenary.
The speaker subsequently constituted a special panel chaired by Babajimi Benson, chairman of the house committee on defence, to screen the service chiefs.
SENATE PRIORITISES SCREENING
The senate on Wednesday suspended consideration of a report on external borrowing to screen the security chiefs.
The report of the committee on local and foreign debts, which focused on new external borrowing under the 2025 Appropriation Act and the refinancing of maturing Eurobonds, was listed as the first order of the day.
Senators had begun debating the report when Tahir Monguno, senate chief whip, raised a point of order calling for its suspension.
Monguno urged the senate to prioritise the confirmation of the military chiefs in view of the urgency of national security matters.
The motion was seconded by Osita Ngwu, senate minority whip.
Following the motion, Opeyemi Bamidele, the senate leader, moved that the chamber resolve into the committee of the whole to commence the screening process.
The service chiefs, led by Mohammed Badaru, defence minister, were then admitted into the chamber for the exercise.
The confirmation is in accordance with section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act.
Bamidele has moved that Oluyede should not be screened again as he was recently grilled by the senate for the position of chief of army staff.
The senator also asked that lawmakers go into a closed session.
