Kennedy Elaigwu Awodi
In the wake of his recent interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), OFR, has found himself at the center of a coordinated smear campaign. Political partisans and sponsored internet commentators have launched scathing attacks, attempting to twist his candid historical observations regarding the former administration of Kaduna State into a narrative of ethnic bigotry and division. Certain online figures have gone so far as to pass a reactionary “vote of no confidence” and demand his immediate resignation, citing his use of the phrase “our people” as evidence of a flawed mindset.
These detractors miss the mark entirely. General Musa’s media appearance was not a exercise in partisan warfare, nor was it an attempt to stoke ethnic or religious animosity. Instead, it was a display of nationalistic truth-telling, a courageous refusal to sanitize history at the expense of national security and institutional integrity. Far from compromising his standing, General Musa’s remarks highlighted precisely why he remains one of Nigeria’s most respected, principled, and patriotic leaders.
The central grievance of General Musa’s critics appears to be his refusal to brush past the painful governance record of Kaduna State under former Governor Nasir El-Rufai. During the interview, General Musa pointedly reminded Nigerians of well-documented incidents, including public declarations made by the former administration regarding financial payments made to non-state actors in a flawed attempt to halt killings.
Reminding the nation of public history is neither a character assassination nor a hate speech tactic. It is an act of historical fidelity. General Musa explicitly invited viewers to verify his claims on open platforms like YouTube, where video archives of past speeches, admissions, and questionable policy decisions remain accessible to the public.
For a Minister of Defence, a man tasked with protecting the lives and property of over 200 million Nigerians, ignoring how bad security policies undermine peace would be an abdication of duty. A nation that refuses to confront its past mistakes is doomed to repeat them. By speaking plainly about how past administrative postures exacerbated insecurity, General Musa did what true leaders do: he prioritized systemic accountability over political politeness.
The attempt to weaponize General Musa’s reference to “our people” against him is a disingenuous attempt to fabricate a crisis. Critics argue that as a senior military veteran, General Musa should not acknowledge communal trauma, suggesting that doing so breaches military neutrality.
This argument is fundamentally flawed. When General Musa spoke of “our people,” he spoke as a son of Kaduna State and a citizen of Nigeria who witnessed firsthand the devastation inflicted on rural communities, particularly in Southern Kaduna. “Our people” does not refer exclusively to a single tribe or creed; it encompasses every law-abiding Nigerian citizen who has suffered the agonizing consequences of unchecked banditry, administrative neglect, and divisive socio-political rhetoric.
Empathy is not a liability in a military leader; it is a foundational virtue. A General who does not feel the pain of the citizenry cannot effectively defend them. General Musa’s career, from his time as Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in the Northeast to his tenure as Chief of Defence Staff and now Minister of Defence, demonstrates that he views every Nigerian, regardless of region or religion, as “his people”. To weaponize his empathy for communities that experienced years of bloodshed is an insult to public service.
To question General Musa’s credentials as a unifying figure is to ignore his entire biography. Born and raised in Sokoto State, educated across the North, and trained at the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, General Musa embodies the essence of Nigerian unity. He grew up within diverse communities, built lifelong friendships across religious divides, and spent over three decades in the Nigerian Armed Forces risking his life to defend the nation’s territorial integrity.
Throughout his career, General Musa has earned international and national acclaim—including the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering and the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), not through political patronage, but through operational excellence, bravery, and unwavering professionalism.
During his time as Theatre Commander in the Northeast, he restored hope to millions displaced by Boko Haram, treating Christian and Muslim victims of terror with the same dedication and protection. His track record proves that he rejects the “divide and rule” political tactics that have plagued Nigerian governance. His call on Channels TV was a plea for inclusive, unbiased leadership that unites Nigerians rather than pitting them against one another along ethnic or religious fault lines.
The calls for General Musa’s resignation stem not from any wrongdoing on his part, but from political discomfort. Certain political actors prefer a Defence Minister who remains passive, silent, and compliant, one who turns a blind eye to past governance failures and allows false narratives to dominate the public space.
General Christopher Musa is not that kind of officer. He understands that national security goes beyond weapons procurement and tactical deployments; it requires moral clarity. It demands calling out divisive politics wherever it exists, because political brinkmanship often seeds the very insecurity that troops are later sent to die fighting.
Under his stewardship, Nigeria’s security framework is experiencing a recalibration focused on personnel welfare, modern intelligence integration, and inter-agency synergy. The nation cannot afford to compromise its security leadership to appease political interests offended by the truth.
General Christopher Gwabin Musa’s interview on Channels TV was a necessary, patriotic intervention. He spoke with the authority of a veteran who has seen the devastating cost of bad governance and the courage of a leader who refuses to compromise on facts.
The attacks against him are merely partisan noise designed to distract from his reform agenda at the Ministry of Defence. Nigerians must look past these manufactured controversies and stand behind a patriot whose life’s work remains dedicated to peace, justice, and the defense of the Federal Republic.
Kennedy Elaigwu Awodi wrote from North Carolina, USA.
Email: awodiken@outlook.com
