The reported reversal of the controversial promotion of President Bola Tinubu’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Nuruddeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general has continued to generate ripples within the Nigerian Army, with fresh details emerging about internal backlash among his coursemates.
President Tinubu had earlier approved Yusuf’s elevation, a decision that immediately attracted criticism within military circles. The promotion came barely months after Yusuf was decorated as a colonel in January 2025, making it his second advancement within a 12 month period . Under Nigerian Army regulations, an officer is typically expected to spend a minimum of four years in the rank of colonel before being considered for promotion to brigadier-general.
Beyond time on rank, senior officers explained that eligibility for the brigadier-general rank also requires successful completion of the National Defence College (NDC) programme, which serves as the apex professional military training institution for strategic level command and leadership. Attendance at NDC is widely regarded as mandatory for officers aspiring to general officer status.
Additional criteria include seniority within the promotion year, performance evaluations, command experience, and clearance by promotion boards convened by the Nigerian Army and ratified by the Armed Forces Council. These processes are designed to ensure fairness, operational competence, and institutional stability.
According to military sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the decision sparked outrage among officers of the 52 Regular Course (52RC), Yusuf’s coursemates. Several reportedly described the promotion as an unprecedented fast tracking that violated long established norms and threatened morale within the officer corps.
One source disclosed that the backlash quickly spilled onto the 52RC WhatsApp platform, where coursemates openly questioned the promotion and expressed frustration over what they perceived as preferential treatment. The source claimed that Yusuf subsequently exited the group after accusing his peers of jealousy, an action that further deepened resentment and highlighted the extent of the internal discord triggered by the promotion.
The controversy was compounded by claims that the promotion was backdated to September 2024, a move that reportedly intensified anger within the ranks. Some officers allegedly viewed the backdating as an attempt to legitimise an otherwise questionable decision, further eroding confidence in the fairness of the process.
A senior military source said the original rationale for the promotion was to align Yusuf’s rank with those of other senior security officials attached to the Presidential Villa. In recent months, the Nigeria Police promoted President Tinubu’s Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, from deputy commissioner of police to commissioner of police, while the State Security Services (SSS) elevated the president’s Chief Security Officer, Adegboyega Fasasi, to the rank of director both considered equivalent to a brigadier-general in the Army.
However, critics argue that inter agency rank equivalence should not supersede the Nigerian Army’s established promotion guidelines. They warn that bending military rules to achieve protocol balance at the Presidency risks undermining professionalism, discipline, and confidence in the chain of command.
The episode has also raised questions about civil–military relations and institutional boundaries, particularly amid claims that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) served as the channel through which the promotion recommendation was forwarded to the military high command. Some officers reportedly described this as improper, arguing that such processes should remain strictly within military structures.
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