Tinubu’s ADC, Nurudeen Yusuf.webp
The Digest:

President Bola Tinubu has approved the promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general, the officer’s second promotion within a year, prompting murmurs of discontent and accusations of favoritism within the Nigerian Army.

Key Points:
  • Yusuf was promoted to colonel in January 2025 and is now a brigadier general just 11 months later.
  • The promotion was approved via a letter from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to the Army Chief.
  • Critics within the army call the move illogical and unfair to coursemates awaiting promotion.
  • A presidency source argued the promotion aligns Yusuf’s rank with equivalent upgrades given to Tinubu’s police and SSS security leads.
  • Without it, he would have been subordinate to his security counterparts at the Villa.
  • Neither the Presidency nor the Army has publicly explained the rationale.
  • Yusuf was appointed ADC as a lieutenant-colonel in May 2023, before Tinubu’s inauguration.
The promotion reignites debate about merit, equity, and the informal rules of advancement in Nigeria’s security architecture, where loyalty and proximity can sometimes eclipse traditional pathways.

Sources: Premium Times