Breaking: President Buhari extends tenure of Olonisakin, Buratai and others

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the extension of the tenure of service chiefs in the country after reportedly considering the state of Nigeria’s security. 

This was confirmed by Colonel Tukur Gusau, the public relations officer to the defence minister, Mansur Dan-Ali, in a statement on Monday, December 18. 

The statement said all the service chiefs including General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, Chief of Army Staff (CoAS); Vice Admiral Ibok-EteIkwe Ibas, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) had their stay in office extended by the president.

READ ALSO: Shake-up hits Nigeria Police Force as 4 states get new CPs “The president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, having carefully reviewed the on-going military operations across the nation and the efforts of the Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs in the counter insurgency operations in the North-East, coupled with the security situation of the Niger Delta region, has graciously approved the extension of tenure of service of General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Vice Admiral Ibok-EteIkwe Ibas, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS)," the statement said. 

The statement said the action is of the president is anchored on the powers conferred on him by section 218 (1) and (2) of the 1999 constitution and section 09.06 of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions for Service for officers (2012) revised. 

The statement said the service chiefs had been congratulated by Mansur Dan-Ali for earning the confidence of the president and the people of Nigeria leading to their extension of service. 
it was reported that General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, recently congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his 75th birthday. 

Olonisakin sent the congratulatory message to the president in a tweet on Sunday, December 17. "On behalf of the Officers and Men of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, I wish the President and C-in-C of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, a happy and prosperous 75th birthday. May God bless your leadership sir," he tweeted.