Senate to screen new service chiefs Wednesday

The Senate will on Wednesday screen and possibly confirm the newly appointed service chiefs

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The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced this during plenary after reading a letter from President Bola Tinubu seeking the immediate confirmation of the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, a general.

Earlier during the session, Mr Akpabio had informed senators that the screening would be held next week.

However, following the president’s letter requesting urgent confirmation, he appealed to lawmakers to expedite the process.

“In view of the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff, I plead with distinguished senators to reschedule and take all of them at the same time if it is agreed by the Senate. I would like us to do it tomorrow so that they can start work,” he said.

The Senate president thereafter put the proposal to a voice vote, and most senators supported it. He subsequently approved the motion.

The nominees to be screened include Mr Oluyede, Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, a major general; Chief of Air Staff, Sunday Aneke, an air vice marshal; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, a rear admiral.

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There are strong indications that the screening will be conducted behind closed doors, which is in line with the Senate’s tradition.

Lawmakers have consistently argued that discussions involving national security should not be held in open session to avoid compromising sensitive information.

President Tinubu had on 25 October announced the appointment of the new service chiefs after relieving their predecessors of their duties.

However, he retained the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Undiendeye, a major general.

At the time, the presidency claimed the shake-up was a strategic realignment aimed at deepening professionalism, boosting morale, and enhancing inter-agency coordination in national security operations.

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The newly appointed service chiefs met with the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, where they reportedly discussed the nation’s security challenges ahead of their formal assumption of duty and Senate confirmation.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the development comes weeks after the arrest of 16 senior military officers accused of plotting to overthrow the federal government. Although the presidency has not linked the appointments to the alleged coup plot, the timing has drawn significant public attention