President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Ahmed Abubakar Audi as Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a move that has effectively stalled the anticipated rise of a senior Igbo officer widely viewed as next in line.
The reappointment, which takes effect from Friday, February 27, 2026, was announced in a State House press release signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Audi was first appointed to the position in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. His initial five-year term expired last week as he participated in activities marking the 2026 World Civil Defence Day at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja. He is expected to resume duties on Monday under a fresh five-year mandate.
According to the Presidency, President Tinubu “charged Audi to reposition the service to play a more significant role in the country’s security, especially as the police refocus on their primary responsibility of protecting citizens from bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists.”
Succession Expectations Disrupted
The tenure extension has, however, dashed the hopes of the NSCDC’s Director of Intelligence, an Igbo officer who had been widely regarded within the service as next in line to assume leadership at the expiration of Audi’s first term.
His perceived proximity to the top job had generated expectations of a leadership transition within the paramilitary agency. With the renewal now secured, those expectations have been put on hold for another five years — a development that has sparked quiet concerns in some political and regional circles.
Observers say the decision may further intensify debates around regional balance and representation in federal security appointments.
Audi’s Career Profile
Born on September 30, 1967, in Laminga Town, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Audi joined the NSCDC as a volunteer in November 1996. After completing basic officer training in 1997, he was deployed as a Divisional Officer in Obi Local Government Area.
He rose steadily through the ranks, serving in various state commands before being promoted to Commandant in 2007 and deployed to the office of the Commandant-General at the National Headquarters in Abuja.
Academically, Audi holds a bachelor’s degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Calabar; a PhD in Public Administration from Nasarawa State University, Keffi; and a Master’s in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from Ahmadu Bello University.
With the renewed mandate, Audi will continue to lead the NSCDC at a time of evolving internal security challenges — even as discussions about succession and representation persist in the background.
