Senate confirms Oluyede as army chief

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Olufemi Oluyede, a lieutenant general, as the substantive chief of army staff.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced Mr Oluyede’s confirmation after he was cleared by the senators through voice votes during the plenary.

The upper chamber approved the appointment after considering the report of its Committee on Army, presented by its Chairman, Abdulaziz Yar’adua.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Oluyede as the acting army chief on 30 October following the illness of Taoreed Lagbaja. Mr Lagbaja, a lieutenant general, however, died on 5 November.

The president’s request to confirm Mr Oluyede as substantive army chief was formally read on the floor of the Senate on 26 November and was referred to the army committee.

Mr Yar’adua, the senator for Katsina Central Senatorial District, said Mr Oluyede had been screened at the committee level and that he possessed all the necessary requirements to be the army chief.

He said there is no petition against the army general’s appointment and that the State Security Service (SSS) had cleared him of necessary security issues.

The senator therefore recommended the confirmation of Mr Oluyede as substantive Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff.

Simon Lalong, the Plateau South senator seconded the presentation of the report.

Mr Akpabio then put the confirmation request to vote and the majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.

In his remarks after Mr Oluyede’s confirmation, the senate president expressed hope that banditry, terrorism and other insecurity challenges in different parts of the country would be reduced with the appointment of the new army chief.

Mr Akpabio congratulated the new COAS on his appointment and prayed that the departed soul of Mr Lagbaja continue to rest in perfect peace for his service to the country.

The House of Representatives confirmed Mr Oluyede’s appointment last week.