When the former Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru tendered his resignation on 14th June 2024 , the media went wild in guessing. Official...
When the former Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru tendered his resignation on 14th June 2024, the media went wild in guessing. Official statements blamed "personal reasons," but insiders say the truth ran much deeper. Imagine the scene of a veteran general resigning in the midst of a hurricane of protest from the army, rumors of corruption and a Senate run. It reminds me of the day the Defence Minister of Ghana resigned after a scandal ridden audit - this is a headline which shook the entire African geopolitical landscape.
The Truth Behind Badaru's Exit
A Political Power Play in the Back -Stairs
Badaru's decision came hot on the heels of the 2023 general elections where President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua II had just won a second term. The Defence Ministry, always regarded as a stronghold of young and ambitious officers, was suddenly the battleground of the senior politicians seeking to influence matters.
Internal factionalism: The Minister was caught between two rival camps - the veterans who wanted a more conservative approach to counter-terrorism and the younger officers who wanted rapid modernization.
Bureaucratic opposition: A number of civil servants, sick of bureaucratic gridlock and "political interference," staged a silent but effective bureaucratic blockade that curbed the Ministry's ability to sign off on new procurement deals.
When Badaru attempted to overhaul the procurement system in order to end the chronic delays, he ran into a wall of bureaucracy that resisted change. It was not simply a clash of personalities, but a clash of visions for the security of Nigeria.
Charges of Mismanagement and Corruption
Under the watch of Badaru the Ministry faced a wave of criticisms about mismanagement of resources.
Delays in the procurement of the 2,000 unit fighter jet: The deal that was supposed to bring modern aircraft to the Nigerian Air Force was stalled, costing the country millions of naira, and impacting the public and military trust. (Think of the incident in 2018 when the procurement of 120 infantry fighting vehicles by the Nigerian Army was halted over alleged irregularities.)
Expenses on foreign training trips: It was reported that top officers were going overseas for training with extravagant allowances, and this led to a nationwide debate on fiscal discipline.
The initiative of a joint inquiry was taken by the Public Relations Committee of the Military and the National Assembly's Committee on Defence. Even before the publication of the investigating report, the political pressure on Badaru became unbearable.
The Hidden Senate Bid
While the media was whispering about "personal reasons," insiders confirmed that Badaru had an eye on Senator of Kaduna North. The electoral cycle of 2023 was a crowded space and a seat in the Senate would provide him an arena for influencing defence policy from a different perspective.
Timing was everything - he resigned just a month before the launching of the Senate campaign, and he could concentrate on campaigning without the heavy burden of ministry duties weighing on him.
Support of political allies - Several high-placed politicians who had been his supporters for many years in the internal ministries rallied behind his Senate run, providing both financial support and strategic advice.
A Resignation Like No Other
By the time Badaru's letter of resignation hit the press, there were a number of plausible narratives swirling. His refusal to answer the Senate's call for a full inquiry into the procurement delays added fuel to the fire. He was spotted leaving the ministry in a private helicopter without the fanfare normally associated with high ranking officials.
Global Context - The Same Situation in Ghana
The political drama was not peculiar to Nigeria. In early 2022, Ghana's Defence Minister John Kofi resigned after an audit conducted by the country revealed procurement irregularities. Both cases highlight an emerging trend: political missteps in defence ministries can topple careers and alter political alliances.
What This Means for Nigeria
Security vacuum concerns: With Badaru gone, it will witness a rapid reshuffle in the Ministry. The new Minister will have to heal the rifts, finish the pending procurement projects and build confidence in the armed forces.
Potential Senate power shift: If Badaru wins his Senate seat, he can provide a fresh perspective to the Senate Committee on Defence. It may mean a push for greater transparency and a quicker procurement process.
Public trust: The resignation may weaken the public's trust in the appointments of ministers, particularly a sector that the public perceives as essential to the country's survival.
Conclusion
Badaru's abrupt exit from the Defence Ministry is a sobering reminder of the reality that in Nigerian politics, personal ambition, institutional inertia and public scrutiny* are often at crossroads. Like the drama that played out in Ghana's defence ministry, his exit may indicate a change in the way defence portfolios are handled on the continent. The coming weeks will tell if he can find his way on the Senate floor with the same strategic acumen he brought to the Ministry, and whether the Ministry will recover from the turbulence that has soldiers, civil servants and voters in uneasy anticipation.