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

According to the Presidency, the 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.

Confirming the meeting in a post on his X account, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to the President, wrote:

“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 O. O. Oluyede (N/9318).
– Chief of Defence Intelligence: Major-General E. A. P. 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 S. K. Aneke (NAF/2182).”

The meeting comes days after President Tinubu reshuffled the military hierarchy, replacing General Christopher Musa with General Oluyede, a former Chief of Army Staff, as Chief of Defence Staff. It marks the President’s first official engagement with the new military leadership team.

Major-General Undiendeye was, however, retained as Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Mr. Dare said the reshuffle formed part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s national security architecture.

“All appointments take immediate effect,” he wrote.

However, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) criticised the shake-up, urging the President to explain the rationale behind the move.

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

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