A contentious plan to elevate Nurudeen Yusuf, the aide-de-camp (ADC) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the rank of brigadier-general was abruptly suspended on Monday evening following strong opposition from senior figures within the Nigerian military establishment. The move was reportedly halted after the intervention of two highly respected former Chiefs of Army Staff, who warned of the broader implications such an action could have for military professionalism and hierarchy.
Yusuf, who was promoted to the rank of colonel as recently as January 2025, had been scheduled to receive a one-star general’s rank through what insiders described as a special presidential approval. Under existing Nigerian Army regulations, officers are typically required to serve a minimum of four years as colonels and complete mandatory training at the National Defence College before becoming eligible for promotion to brigadier-general.
Despite these long-standing procedures, approval to sidestep the conventional process was allegedly communicated in a letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the Chief of Army Staff. The letter, dated December 12, 2025, and reportedly signed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, indicated that Yusuf would retain his position as the President’s ADC even after the proposed promotion.
The plan reportedly unsettled senior military officers, as no brigadier-general has ever served as aide-de-camp to a sitting Nigerian president. This unusual development raised concerns about command structure, protocol, and the symbolic message such a promotion would send within the armed forces.
As preparations for the decoration ceremony were underway, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, were said to have cut short an official visit to Lagos and returned to Abuja amid the growing controversy. However, sources revealed that it was ultimately the direct intervention of two former army chiefs—who reportedly engaged President Tinubu privately—that led to the suspension of the promotion plan. They cautioned that proceeding could weaken institutional discipline and set a dangerous precedent.
A senior presidential source later confirmed that the promotion would not take place “anytime soon.” Military analysts have also expressed concerns that granting such an accelerated elevation could undermine morale within the ranks and erode confidence in the established promotion system.
Yusuf has previously been at the centre of controversy, with allegations that he exerted disproportionate influence over the promotion and retention of certain military officers due to his close proximity to the President. According to a military source, Yusuf was said to have facilitated the approval of a memo allowing officers who had failed promotion examinations multiple times—and were due for retirement—to remain in service.
The source added that while President Tinubu initially endorsed the memo, he later withdrew it after being briefed on the implications of breaching military regulations. However, citing a declared national emergency, the President reportedly allowed the affected officers to remain in service temporarily.
President Tinubu promoted Yusuf to the rank of colonel in January 2025 during a ceremony held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Yusuf had earlier been appointed ADC to the President in April 2023, when he was still a lieutenant colonel, just weeks before Tinubu’s inauguration.
Beyond his military career, Yusuf also made headlines in July 2024 when he was crowned the traditional ruler of Ilemona land in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State. He is expected to formally assume the royal title after retiring from active military service.
The shelving of Yusuf’s proposed promotion has been widely viewed as a reaffirmation of military norms and an attempt to preserve institutional integrity amid rising concerns over political influence within the armed forces.
0 Comments