President Bola Tinubu has approved the promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general, a move that has reportedly triggered disquiet and quiet complaints within the Nigerian Army.
The approval was communicated in a letter dated 12 December 2025 and addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Wahid Shaibu.
The letter was signed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, conveying the President’s decision to elevate Col Yusuf.
Concerns have emerged in military circles because Mr Yusuf was only decorated as a colonel in January 2025, meaning the latest elevation marks his second promotion within a 12-month period.
According to a report by Premium Times, some officers, including reportedly a number of his course mates, have expressed dissatisfaction over what they view as an unusually accelerated rise, with critics alleging that the process reflects presidential favouritism.
Neither the Presidency nor the Nigerian Army has issued an official public statement explaining the circumstances surrounding Yusuf’s rapid advancement.
However, a Presidency source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter, said the President approved the promotion to ensure parity between Mr Yusuf and other senior security officials attached to the Presidential Villa.
The source cited similar developments in other security agencies, noting that in August, the Nigeria Police Force promoted the President’s Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, from deputy commissioner of police to commissioner of police.
Likewise, the State Security Services (SSS) recently elevated the President’s Chief Security Officer, Adegboyega Fasasi, to the rank of director.
According to the source, the police and SSS ranks are regarded as equivalent to that of a brigadier-general in the Nigerian Army.
He added that without a corresponding promotion, Mr Yusuf would have remained junior in rank to his counterparts within the Villa’s security structure, a situation he said could weaken esprit de corps among members of the presidential security team.
Yusuf was appointed ADC to Mr Tinubu on 1 May 2023, approximately four weeks before the President’s inauguration. At the time of his appointment, he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
