President Bola Tinubu on Thursday formally decorated the newly appointed service chiefs with their respective ranks at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The ceremony, which began shortly after 2 p.m., saw the President perform the decorations alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the officers, each dressed in their service uniforms.
The decorated officers include General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff.
The Senate confirmed the four nominees on Wednesday following a two-hour closed-door screening session during which they were questioned on strategies to strengthen national security and improve coordination among the armed forces. President Tinubu had earlier written to the red chamber, requesting an expedited confirmation to “ensure continuity in the nation’s security leadership.”
According to PUNCH, senior government officials, lawmakers, family members of the service chiefs, and top military officers attended the ceremony. The President, Vice President, and the officers’ spouses all participated in pinning the new ranks on the chiefs.
The decoration follows a major reshuffle in the military hierarchy announced by the Presidency last week. The statement, signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, described the shake-up as part of efforts to bring new direction to the nation’s defence architecture. Major General E. A. P. Undiendeye, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, retained his position.
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Addressing speculation about recent rumours of a coup plot, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, told PUNCH, “The President acted within his authority as Commander-in-Chief. Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President.”
On Monday, the President met privately with the new service chiefs at the Villa. They arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van escorted by a green Toyota Land Cruiser, and the session lasted approximately 40 minutes. Presidency sources said the President tasked the officers with taking decisive action against insurgents and bandits, particularly in the northern region.
The reshuffle came days after an October 19 report suggested that some officers were plotting to overthrow the government—a claim later dismissed by the Defence Headquarters as “false and mischievous.” Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, said the alleged arrests were related to “issues of indiscipline” within the ranks and described the report as “intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”