Samuel Omang
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dramatic sacking of Nigeria’s service chiefs on Friday has stirred political shockwaves across the nation, igniting debates and reviving rumours of a possible coup plot. The Presidency, however, insists the decision had nothing to do with the viral reports of a foiled coup. Rather, it says the shake-up was a bold attempt to “inject fresh energy, direction, and professionalism” into the military hierarchy. But despite the assurances, public suspicion continues to simmer.
Speaking in an interview, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stressed that the Commander-in-Chief acted squarely within his constitutional powers. “Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President. He is the Commander-in-Chief. He has the power to hire and fire,” Onanuga declared.
Just hours earlier, Tinubu had announced sweeping changes to the leadership of the Armed Forces, replacing General Christopher Musa with General Olufemi Oluyede as Chief of Defence Staff. Also appointed were Major-General W. Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff. The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retained his position.
According to a statement signed by Presidential Media Adviser Sunday Dare, the new service chiefs are to assume duty immediately and have been charged to “justify the confidence reposed in them by enhancing the professionalism, vigilance, and comradeship that define Nigeria’s Armed Forces.”
The announcement came barely a week after reports claimed that some senior military officers had plotted to overthrow the Tinubu administration. The report, which went viral on October 19, linked the detention of 16 officers to the alleged plot and alleged that the cancellation of the Independence Day military parade was part of an effort to quell discontent in the ranks. But the Defence Headquarters quickly debunked the report, describing it as “false and intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”
Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, explained that the detained officers were being investigated for “issues of indiscipline,” while the parade’s cancellation was “purely administrative.” Still, the timing of Tinubu’s military overhaul — barely days after the coup story — has raised eyebrows across the nation.
Presidential aide Tope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, dismissed the speculation outright, insisting that the move was based on strategic renewal rather than panic. “This is not a reaction to any rumour of coups. He is exercising his powers. The service chiefs have done two years,” Ajayi said. He explained that Tinubu’s decision stemmed from a desire to inject “new direction, vision, vigour, and energy” into the Armed Forces. “We are battling multiple security fronts — Boko Haram in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, IPOB and ESN in the South-East, kidnapping in the South-West, and crises in the North-Central. The President wants to re-energise the system to deliver better results,” Ajayi added.
Ajayi also shed light on the government’s broader economic motivation, noting that security spending has dominated Nigeria’s budget for nearly two decades — at the expense of infrastructure, education, and healthcare. “In the last 15 years, security has taken the largest chunk of our budget. The President wants to deal with this matter once and for all so that funds can be better deployed to critical areas,” he explained. He stressed that all presidential appointees serve “at the pleasure of the President,” adding, “Only the President and the Vice President have a guaranteed tenure. Every other appointee can be changed at any time.”
Despite these clarifications, some insiders and security observers remain unconvinced. A senior intelligence operative who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Those connecting the change of service chiefs to the rumoured coup attempt have a point. While the official position is that there was no coup, people will naturally link the two events.” On social media, Nigerians have been quick to draw similar conclusions. User Ikechukwu Ude wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “There were rumours of a coup last week, and now service chiefs have been sacked. It looks more than coincidence.” Another user, Muduwa Kerra, said the removal signified “how close Nigeria was to a coup,” while Abraham Uyanna asked bluntly: “If there wasn’t an attempted coup, why this sudden overhaul?”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) joined the debate, urging President Tinubu to explain the “real reasons” behind the military shake-up. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said: “Nearly all the service chiefs removed were appointed just 28 months ago. This kind of decision has serious implications for stability and could not have been taken without strong reasons. Nigerians deserve to know the truth.” The ADC warned that the near-total overhaul could fuel “rumours and conspiracy theories” rather than dispel them, citing instability in neighbouring Sahel countries as a cautionary tale.
Reactions among security experts were mixed. Retired Army Colonel Yomi Dare, former Director of Legal Services, hailed the move as a “morale booster” for the Armed Forces. “There’s no security implication. The outgone chiefs have done their bit. The new ones should be motivated to assess what worked and what didn’t,” he said. However, former DSS Director Mike Ejiofor questioned whether the shake-up would produce meaningful change without financial reform.
“Changing service chiefs might not change much if they still face the same funding constraints. The defence budget is huge, but implementation remains weak,” he noted. Security analyst Akogun-Abudu Oluwamayowa was more critical, arguing that the overhaul was misplaced. “Our insecurity problem is not about changing the service chiefs. The borders are porous; foreigners cross freely to cause havoc. The focus should be on infrastructure and soldier welfare,” he said.
He urged the new chiefs to prioritise the living conditions of troops rather than ceremonial reforms. “The best welfare for a soldier is his pay. Many are demoralised because their salaries can’t even sustain their families. These men deserve better,” he added.
For now, the Presidency stands firm: there was no coup, and the sackings were purely strategic. But in the court of public opinion, the jury is still out. As the new service chiefs settle into office, Nigeria — a country long besieged by insecurity and political tension — will be watching closely to see whether Tinubu’s gamble brings stability or fuels further speculation.