Tension Brews as Senate Warns Defence Minister Over Public Comments on Security Summit
Things got a bit heated between the National Assembly and the Ministry of Defence this week after Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru threw shade at the Senate’s planned national security summit. According to him, what Nigeria needs isn’t more summits but real strategy from military top brass.
“Strategy is far more important than a summit,” Badaru said during a briefing in Abuja. “The summit will give input, yes, but orders come from the Defence Chiefs, not from public conversations.”
But the Senate didn’t take that lightly.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio responded sharply, saying that such public criticism could worsen Nigeria’s already fragile security situation. “If the Ministry of Defence has any issue with our resolutions, it should come to the Senate President or leadership—not the public,” he said. “You don’t wash your dirty linen in the market.”
Akpabio also praised the 10th Senate for staying focused on national issues despite distractions like this.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele also chimed in, describing the minister’s comments as “discouraging and unnecessary.”
“We’re here to work for Nigerians and support the President’s agenda,” Bamidele noted. “But how can we build synergy when we're being publicly undermined?”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives wasn’t quiet either. On Thursday, lawmakers called on President Tinubu to deploy more security personnel to Plateau State after yet another round of deadly attacks in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs.
The motion, raised by Ishaya Lalu and Daniel Ago, lamented the constant violence in Jos and surrounding areas. “People are being killed, displaced, and left without support,” Lalu said. “This has become a full-blown humanitarian crisis.”
The House also urged NEMA and the Refugees Commission to swing into action with relief materials, while its security committees were given four weeks to investigate the root causes of the violence.
They didn’t stop there. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs was directed to create a proper rehab plan to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals destroyed in the chaos.
It’s clear: both arms of government want action—not just talk.
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