Senate cautions defence minister Badaru over remarks on security summit

The Senate on Thursday issued a strong caution to Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, urging him to refrain from making public statements that could strain the relationship between the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

This follows Badaru’s dismissal of the Senate’s planned two-day national security summit as unnecessary. Speaking during a ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the minister argued that improved strategy—not summits—was the key to addressing Nigeria’s insecurity.

“Strategy is far more important than a summit,” Badaru said. “The summit will give input for the strategy, but operational orders come from the Defence Chiefs, not from public discourse.”

His remarks sparked a strong reaction during Thursday’s plenary session, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele warning that such comments risk undermining legislative efforts and the broader cooperation required to tackle national security challenges.

Akpabio, clearly displeased, condemned the minister’s public dismissal of the Senate initiative.

“If the Ministry of Defence has any issue with any Senate resolution, it should not address it in the marketplace,” he said. “It should reach out to the Senate President or Senate elders. Such public remarks could lead to unnecessary executive-legislative conflict.”

He stressed that the Senate remains committed to national priorities, despite potential distractions.

Bamidele echoed these concerns, stating that the minister’s comments could discourage constructive dialogue and cooperation.

“We are elected to work for the people and support the President’s agenda. But when we are falsely portrayed or publicly undermined, it becomes difficult to build synergy,” Bamidele said.

He added, “That the Minister of Defence could describe a Senate-backed national security summit as unnecessary is troubling. Summits may not be perfect, but they remain critical avenues for gathering diverse perspectives to inform strategic decisions.”

The Senate reaffirmed its commitment to contributing meaningfully to the national security discourse and called for respectful engagement between arms of government.

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