President Bola Tinubu has sent a letter to the Senate seeking confirmation of Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede’s appointment as the substantive Chief of Army Staff.

Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s spokesman, revealed this in a statement on Friday, November 22.

He said President Tinubu is seeking Oluyede’s confirmation by the provision of Section 218(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act.

President Tinubu appointed Oluyede as the Acting Chief of Army Staff on October 30 following the illness of Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja. General Lagbaja, however, died on 5 November.

“President Tinubu is confident about the leadership qualities, professional integrity, and experience of Lt. General Oluyede to lead and inspire the army to ensure national security and stability,” Onanuga stated.

Before he was appointed Acting Chief of Army Staff, Oluyede, a member of the 39th Regular Course, like his predecessor, served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987. He rose to Major-General in September 2020. Since his commissioning as an officer, Oluyede has held many command positions.