President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reported approval for the promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Colonel Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf, to the rank of Brigadier-General has sparked quiet discontent within Nigeria’s military, with officers describing the move as an unprecedented acceleration of promotions.
If formalised, the elevation would make Colonel Yusuf the first Brigadier-General to serve as ADC to a sitting President—an outcome senior officers warn could undermine long-standing military promotion norms.
PRNigeria investigations indicate that Colonel Yusuf was only promoted to Colonel in January 2025, meaning the current approval would amount to a second promotion in less than one year, a development many serving and retired officers say is virtually unknown within the Nigerian Army.
Multiple security sources reported that the process was triggered by a letter dated December 12, 2025, from the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, conveying the President’s approval to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Wahid Shaibu.
A senior security source close to the Presidency defended the move, citing the need for rank parity within the Presidential Villa’s security structure. The source noted that the President’s Chief Personal Security Officer in the Nigeria Police was recently promoted to Commissioner of Police, while the Department of State Services elevated the Chief Security Officer to Director, ranks considered equivalent to Brigadier-General.
Despite this explanation, several senior military officers, both serving and retired, warned that out-of-turn promotions risk disrupting the military’s seniority system, command structure, and morale.
“The military is not the police or an intelligence service where promotions can be adjusted for protocol,” a retired senior officer said. “Promotion to Brigadier-General requires strict criteria—time-in-rank, operational experience, seniority, and mandatory courses. Skipping these sends the wrong message.”
Another retired officer cautioned that sudden elevation could create resentment by placing newly promoted officers above long-standing seniors.
Historically, Nigeria’s Heads of State and Presidents have appointed Colonels as ADCs, even under military rule and since the return to democracy in 1999. Senior officers insist that promoting an ADC to the general officer rank would mark a sharp break from tradition.
As the military leadership weighs the President’s approval, the issue has become a test of how far institutional norms can bend under political and security pressures without weakening discipline and professionalism within the armed forces.
