Nurudeen Yusuf: Fresh Controversy Hits Presidency as Tinubu’s ADC Promoted Twice in One Year
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the promotion of his ADC, Nurudeen Yusuf, to Brigadier-General
- The promotion has raised eyebrows within military circles because Mr Yusuf was only decorated as a colonel in January this year
- However, the Presidency argued the decision was necessary to maintain rank parity within the Villa’s security team
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Abuja, Nigeria - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of the rapid promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of Brigadier-General has triggered quiet but widespread discontent within the Nigerian Army.
Mr Yusuf’s latest promotion, approved in December 2025, came barely 11 months after he was decorated as a Colonel, making it his second advancement within a single year.
Source: Twitter
Many officers described this development as highly unusual under Nigeria’s military tradition, particularly in a democratic setting, with senior officers questioning both the pace and the procedure of the elevation.
A letter dated December 12, 2025, and addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Wahid Shaibu, conveyed the President’s approval for Yusuf’s elevation. As reported by Premium Times, the correspondence was signed by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
Although the Presidency and the Nigerian Army are yet to issue an official statement on the matter, multiple military sources confirmed that the development has sparked intense internal conversations across formations.
“This beggars belief and defies all logic. Someone who was just promoted to Colonel this year?” an aggrieved senior officer told PREMIUM TIMES.
Nurudeen Yusuf was appointed ADC to President Tinubu on May 1, 2023, about four weeks before the President’s inauguration. He held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel at the time and was promoted to Colonel in January 2025.
Why the promotion is controversial
Under long-standing Nigerian Army practice, promotion to the rank of Brigadier-General is regarded as one of the most consequential milestones in an officer’s career, governed by strict professional benchmarks rather than executive discretion.
Military sources told Daily Trust that an officer is typically required to meet three key conditions before advancing from Colonel to Brigadier-General:
Several officers who spoke on condition of anonymity said Yusuf reportedly did not meet these traditional benchmarks before his elevation.
The conditions are: Completion of the War College or Senior Staff Course, National Defence College or equivalent strategic course and a minimum of four to five years’ time-in-rank as a Colonel.
One officer described the decision as an aberration, adding that while junior and mid-level officers may occasionally receive accelerated promotions for exceptional performance, elevating someone to Brigadier-General through what he termed executive fiat sets a dangerous precedent.
“Promotion to Brigadier-General is not ceremonial. “It represents decades of scrutiny, professional education, and peer confidence. When those standards are bypassed, the institution feels it immediately.” The officer told PREMIUM TIMES.
Presidency’s explanation
A Presidency source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, defended the promotion, explaining that the decision was taken to maintain rank parity within the Presidential Villa’s security architecture.
Source: Twitter
According to the source, 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 Department of State Services (DSS) elevated the President’s Chief Security Officer, Adegboyega Fasasi, to the rank of Director.
The source said:
“Without a corresponding promotion, the ADC would have remained subordinate in rank to his counterparts.That imbalance could undermine esprit de corps within the President’s security team.”
The source noted that both positions are considered equivalent to the rank of Brigadier-General in the Nigerian Army.
Military tradition versus executive discretion
As reported by Daily Trust, another senior military source rejected that justification, warning that the Nigerian Army is sustained by deeply rooted traditions that ensure fairness, discipline, and morale.
“For generations, officers have been passed over or compulsorily retired at the Colonel level for failing to meet the requirements for Brigadier-General,” the source said. “They accepted it because they trusted the integrity of the system.”
According to the source, elevating an officer who reportedly spent only one year as a Colonel and did not pass through mandatory strategic courses sends a damaging signal.
“This is how quiet resentment begins, not rebellion, but erosion. Once officers believe the rules no longer apply equally, the moral fabric of the institution starts to fray.”
Questions over procedure
Beyond the substance of the promotion, some officers also questioned the process through which it was approved.
Sources pointed out that under previous administrations, ADCs who reached the rank of Colonel were usually released to attend statutory courses alongside their peers before further promotion.
One source said:
“This is abnormal. The military is structured, and procedure matters as much as rank.”
Examples were cited from the administrations of former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo, where ADCs were replaced once they became eligible for higher training and promotion, in line with established military norms.
The only notable exception, officers said, was during the brief transition government of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, when an ADC who had been promoted to Brigadier-General was retained temporarily to conclude handover arrangements.
Tinubu gives new rank to his ADC
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu has promoted and decorated his ADC, Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf, to the rank of Colonel of the Nigerian Army.
The promotion ceremony was held at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday, January 9, and was attended by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasak of Kwara.
Colonel Yusuf, from Kwara, is a traditional ruler designated with the title of Elemona of Ilemona in the Oyun Council Area of the state.
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Source: Legit.ng
