Tinubu Meets Service Chiefs Behind Closed Doors at Aso Villa

President Bola Tinubu on Monday held a closed-door meeting with the nation’s service chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Presidency said the pre-meeting discussions focused on national security priorities and strategic defence coordination.

Those in attendance included the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kelvin Aneke; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas; the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye; and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu.

“Loading: 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 OO Oluyede (N/9318).
-Chief of Defence Intelligence – Major General EAP 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 SK Aneke (NAF/2182),” Sunday Dare, Special Adviser, Media & Public Communication/Spokesperson to President Tinubu, wrote on his X handle.

The development comes just days after President Tinubu reshuffled the military hierarchy, appointing General Olufemi Oluyede — a former Chief of Army Staff — as the new Chief of Defence Staff, replacing General Christopher Musa.

It was Tinubu’s first official meeting with the newly constituted military leadership team.

Notably, Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye was retained as the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Critics have, however, linked the recent shake-up to rumours of an alleged coup attempt, though the Presidency has not commented on that claim.

Dare, who confirmed the appointments, said the move was part of “the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.”

“All appointments take immediate effect,” he added.

But opposition voices have questioned the motive behind the sudden changes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) urged President Tinubu to be transparent about the reasons for the military reshuffle.\

“Our position remains, therefore, that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened,” the ADC wrote in a statement by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi.

“As an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy. In the light of developments in our neighbourhood of Chad and the Sahel States, we are gravely concerned.