Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua has replaced his chief of defence staff and named new heads of the army, navy and air force in his first major military shake-up since taking office more than a year ago. The reshuffle is the latest sign that Yar'Adua is throwing off the influence of his predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo. It comes two days after he scrapped the office of chief of staff in the presidency, a post held by one of Obasanjo's top allies. Yar'Adua appointed Air Marshal Paul Dike, previously head of the air force, as his chief of defence staff late on Wednesday.
Major-General Abdulrahman Dambazau, formerly an army commander in the southwestern city of Ibadan, was made head of the army while Rear Admiral Isaiah Iko Ibrahim, previously head of Naval Training Command in the commercial capital Lagos, was appointed head of the navy.
Retiring from service: A presidency statement said the outgoing military chiefs were all retiring from service. "It could be interpreted as the latest indication of rolling back any lingering influence of the former president," Antony Goldman, an analyst at London-based risk consultancy PM consulting, told Reuters.