Acting on the advice of some retired military Generals in the country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stopped the planned decoration of his Aide-de – Camp, ADC, Col. Nurudeen Yusuf to the rank of Brigadier General.
President Tinubu, the magazine learnt was billed to decorate Col Yusuf to his new rank on Tuesday, save for the intervention of some respected retired military Generals who advised him to shelve the plan because of its immediate and far-reaching consequences on the nation’s armed forces.
The magazine reports that Yusuf, who became President Tinubu’s ADC in 2023, was reported to have been promoted few days ago, to the rank of Brigadier General based on the recommendation of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu.
The recommendation was reportedly conveyed in a letter from the Office of the NSA to the Chief of Army Staff. The letter, dated December 12, 2025 also noted that Yusuf would be retained as the President’s ADC despite the proposed promotion.
The ceremony to decorate him to the higher rank was supposed to take place yesterday before it was hurriedly cancelled by the Presidency, following the backlash from not a few Nigerians, particularly in the military who insist that promoting Yusuf, who was only promoted to the rank of Colonel in January 2025, will set a bad precedence.
Meanwhile, Ribadu’s approval is believed to have bypassed the military tradition, which required that for a Colonel to be recommended to the rank of Brig. General the officer must have attended the National Defence College.
Those monitoring the presidency claimed that Yusuf has become so influential in Aso Rock, Nigeria’s Presidency , so much so, that he was able to influence the promotion of some military officers in the Army. His powerful influence must have extended to the NSA Office where he got the nod to be promoted to a new rank, according to some military sources, who condemned what is happening as unnecessary wholesomeness in military affairs by politicians.
They also pointed out that , Yusuf, who has been appointed as a traditional ruler in his hometown in Kwara state should not be allowed to politicised his position as the chief protector of the president, because he will be setting a bad precedence for other ADC in the future.
The reactions generated regarding the promotion of the ADC is coming on the heels of the recent revelations by the immediate past First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari on how some presidency officials, including security chiefs tried to hijack the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former First Lady made the revelations in a biography authored by Dr Charles Omole, titled ‘From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, unveiled at the State House, Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Monday. The ceremony, the magazine reports, was attended by President Tinubu, Vice President Kassim Shetima and other top government officials.
Among the staggering revelations in the book is that some unknown Presidency officials forged a presidential document, purporting that Buhari directed the DSS, IGP, Service Chiefs to impose former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as the 2023 APC Presidential candidate.
Since the reported promotion of Yusuf, sources close to the Presidency informed the magazine that some retired Army Generals had called the president, advising him to shelve the promotion because it is against known military traditions in the country. They pointed out that the nation’s armed forces, particularity the Army cannot be toyed with or politicized in such a manner, even though they also recognized the powers of the president as commander-in-chief. Tinubu, as commander-in-chief, they insist, is expected to exercise his powers with utmost discretion, in such a way that such will not cause dysfunction in the military.
“At least four respected Army Generals, two from the North and two from the South reached out to the president, telling him to reconsider his decision to promote his ADC. The president was told that such action is capable of triggering disaffection in the military, stressing that the military is different from other services like the police and others, where such actions, when taken, will ordinarily not receive serious reactions. That, this one has caused angry reaction from Nigerians, including the political class is a signal to the president that it’s not the right thing to do,” a source said.
“This, is even moreso, considering that the ADC was only promoted to the rank of Colonel early this year. Some of his course mates in the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA are still in the Lt. Colonel rank, the source added.
Some Nigerians who waded in on the issue, warned President Tinubu not to take action capable of destroying military tradition, saying closeness to power should not be the basis for promoting a military officer. They advise him to exercise great restraint on this issue because of its capability to destroy the fabrics of the nation’s Armed forces, and possible dissatisfaction among officers , particularity at a time the nation is facing serious security problems.
According to them, no President in the country, since the return to democratic government in 1999 used an officer in the rank of Brig. General as ADC. The highest ADC rank, from Olusegun Obasanjo to Buhari is Colonel, they insist.
This sources also stressed that special consideration should not be given to military officers serving in the Presidency, because of their closeness to politicians while officers risking their lives in the war front against Boko haram and Banditry, are neglected and made to stay in the same ranks for years.
The analysts also stressed that it’s wrong to promote the ADC to the rank of Brig. General while he has yet to attend the National Defence College, an essential military tradition, before a Colonel can be considered for promotion to brigadier general. This, they insist, is in line with Nigeria’s military policy for years.
In a piece, titled ADC Promotion: A memo to President Tinubu On military Tradition, Yushau A. Shuaib , a public affairs analyst said the presidency should not apply the policy of Rapid Promotion, as being used in the Nigerian Police and DSS to justify the promotion of the president’s ADC, saying the military tradition abhors such, noting that if the promotion is allowed to go ahead, Yusuf will be the first General officer to serve as ADC to a civilian president in Nigeria, adding that his promotion will generate huge furore in the nation’s armed forces.
He explained that promoting the ADC will amount to bending military norms in a manner that would send a dangerous signal that “proximity to power matters more than service, sacrifice, and seniority,” in the nation’s Armed Forces, which he said is capable of leading to instability and disquiet among officers.
According to him, President Tinubu must avoid actions that could inadvertently trigger frustrations among military officers, which could push them to embark on some dangerous adventures, such as coup detat, citing the reported recent coup in the country as a warning that the military should not be politicised or toyed with.
“A recent report by PRNigeria indicates that your decision to promote your Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Colonel Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of Brigadier General has generated deep unease within military circles. If implemented, it would mark a historic departure from long-established military tradition, potentially making him the first general officer to serve as ADC to a civilian president in Nigeria,” Shuaib said.
“Colonel Yusuf was promoted to his current rank in January 2025. Elevating him again in less than a year would amount to a second rapid promotion, justified by comparisons with practices in other services such as the Police or DSS. But such comparisons miss a critical point: the Nigerian Armed Forces operate under a rigid, globally recognised promotion system built on seniority, merit, qualifications, time-in-rank, and competitive examinations. Deviating from this framework for political convenience risks undermining the very spine of military professionalism.
Historically, ADCs to Nigerian leaders have ranged from junior officers to Colonels, reflecting both tradition and prudence. Since the return to civil rule in 1999, civilian presidents have consistently appointed Colonels as ADCs—an arrangement that balances professional competence with respect for hierarchy. Elevating an ADC to general-officer rank while still serving in that role would be unprecedented and deeply destabilising.
Mr President, while you are constitutionally empowered as Commander-in-Chief—particularly at a time when a recent Supreme Court ruling has further expanded executive authority to include the declaration of a state of emergency and the removal of elected officials without prior National Assembly approval—leadership ultimately demands restraint. This is especially critical in institutions like the armed forces, where discipline, hierarchy, seniority, and predictability are not mere conventions but sacred pillars of stability and professionalism.
“To bend military norms in the manner you intend to would send a dangerous signal that proximity to power matters more than service, sacrifice, and seniority. It would risk breeding resentment among officers who have spent years in harsh terrains, away from their families, confronting bandits and terrorists with courage and professionalism.
“Recent events heighten this concern. Only months ago, Nigeria narrowly avoided a coup attempt reportedly fueled by grievances over stagnation and blocked promotions among senior military officers. As a nation, we rightly condemned that plot. But leadership must also avoid actions that could inadvertently validate the very frustrations that often underpin such dangerous adventures elsewhere in the region.
“Why should aides working in the comfort of state houses be fast-tracked over gallant officers battling real enemies in forests and frontlines—some paying the ultimate price—without even the courtesy of seeing their families regularly? Such optics are corrosive.
“If Colonel Yusuf cannot find the courage to advise restraint in the interest of the institution he serves, then, Mr President, that burden rests squarely on you. Suspending or reconsidering this promotion would not diminish your authority; it would reinforce your commitment to military professionalism, morale, and national stability.
“Nigeria’s armed forces do not need symbolic gestures that strain tradition. They need reassurance that fairness, merit, and order still define the path to advancement. In moments like this, true loyalty is shown not by acquiescence but by counsel grounded in the nation’s long-term interests.
“Therefore, my dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I respectfully and passionately appeal to you to reconsider and jettison any move that elevates your Aide-de-Camp above his seniors through accelerated or exceptional promotion. At this critical moment in our nation’s security journey, restraint, fairness, and respect for military tradition will speak louder than authority exercised without caution,” he added.
Meanwhile, some analysts insist that the president can exercise his powers as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by promoting Yusuf to the next rank, saying it’s not beyond his authority to carry out such actions, noting that he may decide to ignore any advise to that effect.
