Army keeps mum as officers grumble over Tinubu’s ADC promotion

Army spokesperson, Anele

The Nigerian Army has yet to comment on reports that President Bola Tinubu approved the promotion of his Aide-de-Camp, Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general, amid growing disquiet among some serving officers.

When contacted on Monday for clarification, the Army spokesperson, Col. Onyechi Anele, asked our correspondent to wait until the evening.

As of the time of filing this report, no official response had been issued on the matter.

The controversy followed a report by Premium Times claiming that President Tinubu had approved Mr Yusuf’s elevation.

The report said a letter dated December 12, 2025, and addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Wahid Shaibu, with copies to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, conveyed the President’s approval.

According to the report, several officers, including some of Mr Yusuf’s coursemates, were said to be unhappy with what they described as an unprecedented fast-tracking of his career, accusing the President of favouritism.

Our correspondent could not independently verify the authenticity of the purported letter.

However, multiple military sources dismissed the report, insisting that such a promotion was not feasible under existing military regulations. The sources also questioned the authority attributed to the letter’s alleged author.

“The President’s ADC was promoted to colonel in 2024 and certainly cannot be promoted to brigadier-general now. He is required to spend four years in the rank before becoming eligible for promotion,” one source said. Punch