The true reasons why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu picked a new group of service chiefs and others after taking office have now come to light, according to fresh information.
President Tinubu appointed Major-General C.G. Musa, Major-General T. A. Lagbaja, AVM H.B. Abubakar, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, acting Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the National Security Adviser (NSA) on Monday, June 19.
The appointments were perceived as bringing new blood into the security apparatus to tackle the nation’s apparently insurmountable security problems.
There are additional factors besides the addition of new blood to the security architecture, according to Daily Trust.
In 1999, Tinubu, then the governor of Lagos State, promoted Egbetokun, then a deputy superintendent of police, to the position of chief security officer.
While reporting to Tinubu, the state’s chief security officer, the acting IGP was managing the state’s entire security infrastructure.
Up to Tinubu’s election as president of the nation, he continued to have a strong connection with him.
In his selections of new service heads and other individuals, President Tinubu also strove to represent the federal character.
According to Daily Trust, President Tinubu’s choice cannot be free of political considerations as he aims to strengthen his bases and gain new lands before 2027.
Air Vice Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar is a native of Kano State’s Shanono Local Government Area, where he received a lot of support during the 2023 presidential election.
Similar to this, Major-General Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, who is from southern Kaduna’s Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, would address the marginalization of northern Christians and win their support for the effort to combat instability in the North.
Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the chief of the naval staff, is from the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area in Enugu State and will also address the claim that the South East is not included in the nation’s security framework.
Political experts claim that the selection of Major-General Lagbaja, a native of Osun State’s Irepodun Local Government Area, was a calculated attempt to retake the state, which President Tinubu lost to Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nuhu Ribadu of Adamawa state, a different trusted ally, was chosen to serve as the National Security Advisor (NSA).
Ribadau’s selection is regarded as another very strategic choice and one with whom Tinubu feels at ease.