The Nigerian Senate Confirms Major General Waheedi Shaibu as New Chief of Army Staff

The Nigerian Senate, on Wednesday, confirmed Major General Waheedi Shaibu as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), concluding the swift vetting of the top military brass nominated by President Bola Tinubu. The Senate directed the new COAS to “take a bow” and assume his duties immediately, signalling a national urgency to implement the security restructuring.

Dependable NG reports that Major General Shaibu’s confirmation followed barely an hour after the upper chamber cleared General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The confirmation exercise, held at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, proceeded under tight security as senators navigated both open and closed sessions to evaluate the nominees’ credentials and strategic plans.

Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, who presided over the session, framed the exercise as a crucial constitutional duty aimed at guaranteeing that only the most capable and patriotic officers are entrusted with the leadership of the nation’s security agencies. He defended the limited public questioning of the nominees, noting that a more detailed engagement would occur during a closed-door session with the Service Chiefs.

A powerful statement of confidence in the new military leadership came from Senator Isah Jubrin (Kogi East), who personally attested to Major General Shaibu’s fitness for the challenging role. The lawmaker revealed that he had known the officer for three decades, describing him as a humble and highly serious professional. “The officer is well known to me. I have known him for 30 years. Shaibu is humble and takes his job very seriously. I want to believe that is an asset,” Senator Jubrin stated, concluding that Shaibu has the requisite qualities to address the national security challenges currently faced by Nigeria.

President Tinubu’s letter requesting the screening and confirmation of the Service Chiefs was read on Tuesday, outlining the full list of nominees: General Olufemi Oluyede (Chief of Defence Staff), Major-General Waheedi Shaibu (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff), and Air Vice Marshal Kennedy Aneke (Chief of Air Staff). The Senate’s decision to reschedule the screening from the initially planned next week to Wednesday, October 29, underscores the legislative commitment to ensuring the new military command structure is operational without any undue delay, facilitating a decisive response to the country’s security environment. The confirmation of Shaibu, Oluyede, and the other Service Chiefs marks a crucial step in President Tinubu’s mission to reinvigorate and strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture.