*Urges Nigerians To Pray For Leaders
Defence Minister, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has extolled the awesome power of God Almighty, saying his rise to leadership when unnamed enemies believed he was finished, was directly attributable to the work of God.
Sharing his testimony during a church service at Abuja-based Conquerors Global Assembly, founded by Bishop David Abioye, the Minister offered some details of challenges he faced before God Almighty used President Bola Tinubu to elevate him, again,to national prominence.
He disclosed: “Even when the enemy thought they were putting us down, they did not know God was going to lift us up.
“In their small mind they conspired and thought they had won. But as long as you have God as your pillar, you will win.”
Recall that Gen. Musa was retired by President Tinubu as Nigeria’s 18th Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on 30 October, 2025, marking the end of his tenure. He had served as CDS from 23 June 2023.
In the heat of the aftermath of US President Donald Trump’s threat to militarily invade Nigeria to stamp out extremist Islamic fundamentalists whom he accused of engaging in genocide against Nigerian Christians, a subsequent chain of events led to the ‘resignation’ of then Defence Minister, Abubakar Badaru, and Tinubu’s appointment of Gen. Musa as replacement.
Musa was nominated by the President on 2 December, 2025, confirmed by the Senate on 3 December and assumed office on 5 December this year.
General Musa, who hails from Southern Kaduna, an axis known to have suffered immense human and material losses at the hands of terrorists during the eight years of Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was reported to have facilitated the restoration of normalcy and relative safety and security to the axis during his tenure as CDS –a development that greatly raised popular support for Tinubu in the area.
Keen followers of developments there say Musa’s retirement as CDS was warmly welcomed by some persons allegedly uncomfortable with his role in fighting terrorism in the far North.
The church service where he shared his testimony was monitored by Church Times and shared on its website on Sunday, with video clips then circulating on social media.
Gen. Musa was at the service with his wife.
Rallying Nigerians to pray for the country’s leaders as enjoined by the holy books, the Minister urged a halt to the de-marketing of the country by Nigerians, saying such narratives harm national development.
“If you continue to talk down on your country, you don’t mean well,” he stressed.
He urged Christians to reflect their faith through actions, emphasising that true influence comes from living out one’s beliefs.
Turning to Bishop Abioye, the Minister expressed appreciation to him and his wife, and prayed for the continued expansion of their ministry.
He encouraged worshippers to remain hopeful, stating, “because we serve a living God. He will never give up on us.”
“We give God the glory for what has happened this year,” he added.
General Musa described Bishop Abioye as a close associate, noting that trials are vital for personal growth while difficulties build strength.
“If you are never challenged you can never improve in life. As Nigerians, we know we are strong but we are stronger together with God Almighty. Nigerians are winners. We must continue to pray for our leaders and our country,” he emphasized.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Defence Minister Musa.
