Indications have emerged that President Bola Tinubu has shelved his plans to decorate his aide-de-camp, Colonel Nurudeen Yusuf, with the rank of brigadier-general.
DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS learnt that the decoration ceremony was scheduled to take place on Monday evening, but was suspended after an intervention by two former chiefs of army staff.
Yusuf, who was only decorated as a colonel last January, was to be promoted to the rank of brigadier-general through “special presidential promotion”.
According to military tradition, an officer has to be a colonel for at least four years after which he or she will attend the National Defence College (NDC) before they are considered for promotion.
The approval to bypass the process was conveyed in a letter from the office of the national security adviser (NSA) to the chief of army staff.
A letter dated December 12, 2025, and signed by Nuhu Ribadu, the NSA, noted that Yusuf will be retained as the president’s ADC despite the promotion.
It is understood that no brigadier has ever been ADC to the president of Nigeria, leading to further disquiet within the military establishment.
Ahead of the planned decoration on Monday, the minister of defence, Chris Musa — who is a retired general — and the chief of army staff, Waidi Shaibu, a lieutenant general, had cut short their visit to Lagos state and returned to the federal capital.
However, a presidential source disclosed that the promotion is not going to happen “anytime soon”.
