Senate begins screening of new service chiefs

The Nigerian Senate has commenced the screening of the newly appointed service chiefs.

The nominees under consideration are: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Olufemi Oluyede, a general;

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Waidi Shaibu, a major general; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Sunday Aneke, an air vice marshal; and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Idi Abbas, a rear admiral.

The nominees were accompanied to the chamber by the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Bashir Lado; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Undiendeye, a major general, and other senior security officials.

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The exercise began around 12:44 p.m. after the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion to admit the nominees into the chamber in accordance with the Senate’s standing rules.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is presiding over the session as the chairman of the Committee of the Whole.

President Bola Tinubu had on 25 October announced the appointment of the new service chiefs after relieving their predecessors of their duties, while retaining the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

The presidency described the changes as a strategic realignment aimed at deepening professionalism, boosting morale, and enhancing inter-agency coordination in national security operations.

On Tuesday, Mr Akpabio read a letter from the president requesting the screening and confirmation of the nominees, which was referred to the Committee of the Whole.

In line with parliamentary tradition, service chiefs are usually screened behind closed doors, as lawmakers argue that national security matters should not be discussed publicly to avoid compromising sensitive information.

At the time of filing this report, the CDS nominee, Mr Oluyede, had been invited to the podium to share his experience as chief of army staff prior to his new appointment.

The CDS highlighted his over 30 years of military service, during which he obtained several professional qualifications and attended various strategic courses.

He described his tenure as chief of army staff (COAS) as challenging but noted that insecurity in Nigeria has reduced significantly under his watch.

He, however, stressed the need for greater support from Nigerians and increased resources for the military, lamenting that inadequate funding limits the fight against terrorism.

Mr Oluyede also urged the government to prioritise local production of military equipment, describing reliance on imported hardware as costly and unsustainable.

He appealed to lawmakers to enact legislation to regulate the sharing of sensitive information.

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He assured the Senate that, if confirmed, he would prioritise the welfare of military personnel and serve the nation with utmost dedication.

After his presentation, the senate president announced that each nominee would be invited to present a brief biography and respond to one non-sensitive question from senators before the session proceeds into a closed-door screening.

As of the time of filing this report, Mr Shaibu has been invited to the podium to deliver his biography.