Tinubu Swears-In Two New Ministers - Mid-Night Oath, Early-Morning Sirens: Inside the Low-Key Swearing-In That Re-Wired Nigeria’s Security Top-Brass.

President Bola Tinubu yesterday administered the oath of office to Dr. Doro Kumba (Defence) and Kingsley Udeh (Police Affairs), filling gaps left by the exit of former ministers Yilwatda and Nnaji. The reshuffle is seen as a pre-election security reset ahead of 2027.

The villa gates stayed shut to cameras. Only the fountain’s splash and the scrape of chair legs broke the silence. At 23:41 last night, President Bola Tinubu raised a small green Bible; two voices echoed after him. By 23:46 the hand-shakes were over, the seal pressed, and Nigeria had a new Defence Minister and a new Police Affairs Minister—the shortest swearing-in most reporters have ever missed.

No press release hit phones until 00:17. No photo-op, no parade of aides. Even the protocol officer shrugged when asked why: “Order from above—keep it dark till morning.”

Who signed before the clock struck twelve

- Dr. Doro Kumba, 56, former Chief of Training & Operations, Defence HQ, retired as Air Vice-Marshal 2021. Holds a PhD in Conflict Psychology from Cranfield University, UK. Last job: Executive Director, West Africa Defence Think-Tank, Accra.
- Kingsley Udeh, 51, ex-Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of Force Intelligence. Took early retirement after exposing a 600-million-naira cyber-syndicate inside the force in 2022. Most recent post: Senior Partner, Kinsguard Security Solutions, Lagos.

Both men replace ministers axed in the quiet purge of 27 October:
- Alhaji Badaru Yilwatda (Defence) – sacked after confidential audit queried ₦34 billion in “emergency procurement” with no delivery notes.
- Hauwa Nnaji (Police Affairs) – asked to go following leaked memo that accused her ministry of padding 2026 budget by ₦12 billion under line item “public morale boosters.”

Why the hurry?

Three triggers pushed the President into midnight mode, multiple Villa sources say:
1. Election calendar
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixes party primaries between March and June 2026. Tinubu wants security optics locked down before the first delegate list is printed.

2. Creeping coup talk

Last week’s emergency NSA-chiefs meeting (see our 7 Nov report) flagged “unusual troop movements” near Kainji and rumblings over unpaid 4-month operational allowance. A retired but respected general advised: “Put soldiers’ men in uniform at the table, not businessmen.”

3. Senate choke-point

The Senate resumes plenary Tuesday. Presidency aides feared opposition delay of confirmation hearings. Solution: swear them in first, send names later; constitution allows 60 days before legislative vetting.

The oath, the oath-book, the empty seat. An aide smuggled this paper into the Council Chamber ante-room. Scene described:
“Blue drapes drawn, no flags. President in white caftan, no neck-tie. Only AGF Lateef Fagbemi, Chief of Staff Gbajabiamila, NSA Ribadu and two chaplains present. Ministers stood on spot 3 and 4, no family, no media. Bible raised, oath read, handshake, done—six minutes flat.”

Noticeably absent: Vice-President Kashim Shettima (in Ndjamena for Lake Chad summit) and Senate President Godswill Akpabio (medical trip to London—sources say deliberately scheduled to avoid questions).

Policy reset or paper shuffle? Security analysts see symbolism over structure.

- Kumba inherits a Defence HQ where service chiefs control 90 % of budget; ministerial powers are largely ceremonial. But he speaks troops’ language and carries no Abuja contractor baggage.
- Udeh takes a ministry that does not command a single policeman—the IGP does—yet he will supervise allocation of ₦1.05 trillion police vote in 2026, bigger than the entire defence envelope.

Dr. Aminu Bala, security economist at Ahmadu Bello University, warns:
“If the new guys can’t force inter-agency synergy, they’re just expensive seat warmers.”

Senate fights back

Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro told this paper the swearing-in breaches Section 147(2) which demands Senate confirmation BEFORE assumption of office. Presidency counters with Section 151(1): President may appoint for six months while awaiting confirmation. Expect court fireworks next week; three PDP senators already engaging lawyers.

What the new ministers said (off-camera)

Catching Kumba by the carpark exit, he muttered: “No interviews tonight. Tomorrow we inspect Maiduguri trenches. The job starts now.” Udeh, cornered at DSS checkpoint, offered only: “Police welfare is my oxygen. Watch the salary timeline.”

Bottom line

Tinubu’s midnight oath is classic Lagos politics—move fast, apologise later. Whether the new security duo can cool troop anger, plug budget holes and deliver calm before election drums drown everything will decide if tonight’s quiet ceremony becomes masterstroke or miscalculation. For now, two new signatures sit in the appointments book, and Abuja sleeps uneasily, waiting for the first 6 a.m. salute.

This has been The Red Hot Report from Pepper-Room. The news that bears it all.

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