By Deborah Nnamdi
President Bola Tinubu on Monday held a closed-door meeting with the newly appointed service chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, sources suggest it may be linked to recent developments in the country’s security architecture.
In attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kelvin Aneke; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye, and Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu.
Confirming the meeting on his X handle, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Tinubu, wrote:
“New Service Chiefs in the State House in a crucial meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR … Chief of Defence Staff – Lieutenant General O.O. Oluyede (N/9318); Chief of Defence Intelligence – Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye (N/9563); Chief of Army Staff – Major General W. Shaibu (N/9895); Chief of Naval Staff – Rear Admiral I. Abbas (NN/1739); Chief of Air Staff – Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke (NAF/2182).”
The meeting comes just days after President Tinubu reshuffled the military hierarchy, appointing General Oluyede, a former Chief of Army Staff, as the new Chief of Defence Staff, while retaining Major General Undiendeye as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
The changes have stirred political reactions, with some critics linking the shake-up to alleged concerns over a possible coup attempt.
In response, Dare explained that the appointments were part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen national security, saying, “All appointments take immediate effect.”
However, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded transparency from the government regarding the motive behind the shake-up.
“Our position remains that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened,” the ADC said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi.
“As an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy. In light of developments in our neighbourhood of Chad and the Sahel States, we are gravely concerned,” the statement added.
