Controversy is trailing reports that President Bola Tinubu has approved the promotion of his aide-de-camp (ADC), Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general, a move said to have triggered murmuring and discontent within the Nigerian Army and reignited a broader debate over merit, seniority and standards in the Armed Forces.
The controversy followed a published report claiming that a letter dated December 12, 2025, conveyed the President’s approval of Yusuf’s elevation. The letter was reportedly addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Wahid Shaibu, with copies to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribaɗu. The authenticity of the letter, however, could not be independently verified.
According to the reports, the alleged promotion would make Yusuf’s rise the second within a year, having been decorated as a colonel in January 2025. Several serving officers, including some of his course mates, are said to be unhappy, describing the development as an unprecedented fast-tracking, which undermines established military regulations.
Some critics accused the President of favouritism. “This beggars belief and defies logic. Someone who was just promoted to colonel this year?”, one senior officer was quoted as saying.
Multiple military sources have dismissed the reports, insisting that such a promotion would not be feasible under existing Armed Forces regulations. One source said an officer is required to spend several years in the rank of colonel and meet professional requirements before becoming eligible for elevation to Brigadier-General.
“The President’s ADC was promoted to Colonel in 2024 and certainly cannot be promoted to brigadier-general now. There are laid-down rules, including time-in-rank and professional courses that must be followed”, the source said.
The source also questioned the role attributed to the NSA, stressing that the office has no authority to request or initiate promotions within the Armed Forces. “The appointment of an ADC is at the discretion of the President, based on advice from the Defence Intelligence Agency, but promotions follow strict military procedures”, he added.
Weighing-in, a former Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Gen. Ishola Williams (rtd), criticised the reported move, describing it as inconsistent with military tradition. According to him: “Under normal circumstances, an ADC serves for about two years, returns to regular duties, and is replaced. The NSA has no right to write a letter requesting the promotion of any officer of the armed forces”.
However, a former Army spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Bashir Adewinbi (rtd), offered a different perspective, noting that accelerated promotions were not entirely new in Nigeria’s military history.
“Many things look mysterious because history is often forgotten”, he said, citing the case of Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who was promoted rapidly during his military career. Adewinbi argued that officers could be rewarded for critical but non-public contributions to national security, adding that such achievements are not always visible to the public.
Meanwhile, a Presidency source sought to contextualise the reports, pointing to recent promotions within the President’s security detail. In August, the Nigeria Police Force promoted the President’s Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, from Deputy commissioner to Commissioner of police, while the Department of State Service (DSS) reportedly elevated the Chief Security Officer to the rank of Director.
According to the source, these ranks are considered equivalent to that of a Brigadier-General, arguing that without a corresponding promotion, Yusuf would have remained subordinate in rank to his counterparts, potentially affecting esprit-de-corps within the Villa’s security team.
Yusuf was appointed ADC to President Tinubu on May 1, 2023, about four weeks before the President’s inauguration. At the time, he held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Beyond official denials and justifications, the alleged promotion has also drawn sharp criticism from commentators. In an opinion piece, a security analyst, Muhammed Bello Buhari described the reported elevation and retention of Yusuf as ADC as “absolutely alien to military tradition”, arguing that promotion from colonel to brigadier-general typically requires several years in rank and attendance at mandatory professional institutions.
He warned that exceptions based on proximity to power risk demoralising officers who have “played by the rules,” eroding trust and professionalism within the ranks. “When privilege overtakes process and proximity replaces professionalism, the institution itself begins to rot,” he wrote.
The Nigerian Army has yet to officially comment on the reports. When contacted yesterday, the Army spokesperson, Col. Onyechi Anele, requested newsmen to wait for clarification; however, no statement had been issued as of the time of filing this report.
Also, the Presidency has not issued a formal explanation.
