President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly suspended the special promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Colonel Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf, to the rank of Brigadier General following concerns raised within the Nigerian Army (NA).
It was earlier reported that the President approved the “special presidential promotion” of Yusuf, from the rank of colonel to brigadier-general.
The approval was conveyed in a letter from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the Chief of Army Staff.
The leaked letter was dated December 12, 2025, and was signed by Nuhu Ribadu, the NSA.
In the letter, Ribadu said Yusuf will be retained as the president’s ADC despite the promotion.
“I wish to convey Mr President’s approval of Special Presidential Promotion of Colonel Nurudeen Alowonle Yusuf to the rank of Brigadier General and retention as ADC C-in-C with effect from 12 December 2025, for your necessary action as enclosed. Please accept the assurances of my esteemed regards,” the memo reads.
The promotion has raised eyebrows within military circles because Yusuf was only decorated as a colonel in January this year, making the latest advancement his second within a 12-month period.
Per army rules, Yusuf is to meet some requirements before being promoted from colonel to brigadier-general, which include the completion of a war college or a senior staff course, and completion of a strategic course at the National Defence College or its equivalent.
A colonel in the Nigerian Army is also expected to spend a duration of four to five years before becoming eligible for promotion.
Several officers, including some of his coursemates, reportedly expressed frustration over what they described as an unprecedented fast-tracking of his career, with critics accusing the President of favouritism.
“This beggars belief and defies all logic,” an aggrieved senior officer told PREMIUM TIMES. “Someone who was just promoted to colonel this year?”
However, in a fresh development, Tinubu has rescinded the special promotion of the ADC.
The Cable reports that the development followed a last-minute intervention by two former chiefs of army staff.
According to the report, citing a presidential source, the promotion would not happen “anytime soon”.