Report: Tinubu’s ADC promotion blocked after retired generals intervene

The planned promotion of Nurudeen Yusuf, President Bola Tinubu’s aide-de-camp (ADC), to the rank of brigadier-general was reportedly halted on Monday following intervention by two former chiefs of army staff.

Yusuf, who was decorated as a colonel in January 2025, was set to receive a “special presidential promotion” that bypassed standard military procedures. Normally, an officer must serve as a colonel for at least four years and attend the National Defence College (NDC) before being eligible for promotion.

The approval to bypass these rules was reportedly communicated in a letter from National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu to the Chief of Army Staff, dated December 12, 2025. The letter stipulated that Yusuf would remain as the president’s ADC despite the proposed elevation.

No brigadier-general has ever served as ADC to a Nigerian president, raising concerns within the military about setting a dangerous precedent.

Ahead of the intended promotion, Defence Minister Chris Musa, a retired general, and Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu returned early from a Lagos visit to address the matter. Ultimately, according a TheCable, two respected former army chiefs persuaded President Tinubu to shelve the plan, citing risks to military discipline and institutional integrity. A presidential source said the promotion is “not going to happen anytime soon.”

Military sources have raised concerns that Yusuf has previously used his influence with the president to affect officer promotions and retention, including keeping officers in service who had failed promotion exams three times.

Yusuf was promoted to colonel in December 2024 and formally decorated in January 2025 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He became ADC in April 2023, a month before Tinubu’s inauguration.

Outside the military, Yusuf was crowned monarch of Ilemona land in Oyun Local Government Area, Kwara State, in July 2024, though he will assume full traditional duties only after retirement from the armed forces.