Army In Turmoil As Tinubu Approves Special Promotion Of ADC To Brigadier-General

According to Ireporter Online, controversy has erupted within the Nigerian Army following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a special presidential promotion for his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Nurudeen Yusuf, elevating him from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier-General.

The decision was communicated through a letter dated December 12, 2025, authored by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Wahid Shaibu. The development has reportedly triggered widespread unease and dissatisfaction among senior military officers.

Military sources disclosed that the promotion has drawn sharp criticism because it represents Yusuf’s second elevation within a 12-month period, a development many officers consider unprecedented and contrary to long-established promotion standards in the Nigerian Army.

Yusuf was promoted to the rank of Colonel in January 2025, following an earlier elevation in December 2024. His latest advancement to Brigadier-General in December 2025 has therefore intensified concerns within military circles.

Under conventional army regulations, officers are expected to spend between four and five years in the rank of Colonel and fulfill mandatory professional requirements, including attendance at the War College or the National Defence College, before qualifying for promotion to Brigadier-General.

Several officers, including some of Yusuf’s coursemates, were said to have expressed frustration over what they described as an unusually accelerated career progression, with critics alleging presidential favouritism.

A senior officer, speaking anonymously, reportedly described the development as baffling and difficult to justify within the framework of established military practice.

Despite the growing controversy, neither the Presidency nor the Nigerian Army has issued an official public statement on the matter. However, a Presidency source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, defended the promotion as a strategic decision aimed at preserving command hierarchy within the Presidential Villa’s security structure.

The source explained that the President approved the elevation to ensure parity between Yusuf and other senior security officials attached to the Villa who have recently received promotions. It was noted that the Nigeria Police Force promoted the President’s Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, from Deputy Commissioner of Police to Commissioner of Police in August, while the State Security Service also elevated the President’s Chief Security Officer, Adegboyega Fasasi, to the rank of Director.

According to the source, failure to promote Yusuf would have left him junior in rank to his counterparts from other security agencies, potentially undermining cohesion and morale within the presidential security team.

Yusuf, who was appointed ADC on May 1, 2023, initially held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. The memo from the Office of the National Security Adviser reportedly confirmed that he will continue to serve as ADC despite his new rank.