₦airaland Forum

President Bola Tinubu has approved the promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Nurudeen Yusuf, to the rank of brigadier-general, a decision that has sparked murmuring and discontent within the Nigerian Army.

In a letter dated 12 December 2025 and addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Wahid Shaibu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, conveyed the President’s approval for Mr Yusuf’s elevation.

The promotion has raised eyebrows within military circles because Mr Yusuf was only decorated as a colonel in January this year, making the latest advancement his second within a 12-month period.

Several officers, including some of his coursemates, reportedly expressed frustration over what they described as an unprecedented fast-tracking of his career, with critics accusing the President of favouritism.

“This beggars belief and defies all logic,” an aggrieved senior officer told PREMIUM TIMES. “Someone who was just promoted to colonel this year?” Neither the Presidency nor the Nigerian Army has publicly offered an official explanation for Mr Yusuf’s accelerated promotion.

However, a Presidency source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter, said the President approved the elevation to align Mr Yusuf’s rank with those of other senior security officials attached to the Presidential Villa.

According to the source, the Nigeria Police Force in August promoted the President’s Chief Personal Security Officer, Usman Shugaba, from deputy commissioner of police to commissioner of police.

Similarly, the State Security Services (SSS) recently elevated the President’s Chief Security Officer, Adegboyega Fasasi, to the rank of director. The source explained that the police and SSS ranks are considered equivalent to that of a brigadier-general in the Nigerian Army.

He added that without a corresponding promotion, Mr Yusuf would have remained subordinate in rank to his counterparts within the Villa’s security architecture, a situation he said could undermine esprit de corps among the presidential security team.

Mr Yusuf was appointed ADC to Mr Tinubu on 1 May 2023, about four weeks before the President’s inauguration. He held the rank of lieutenant-colonel at the time.

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Salewa97:
Help is on the way, the way the American congress men are blowing the issues out of proportion, the help would be like the America troops would be deployed to Nigeria to protect the Christians....

The National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, has narrated how he spent over N756 million to campaign for President Bola Tinubu in 2023.

MC Oluomo disclosed that the fund came from his personal pocket, adding that he never received any assistance “from Abuja” during the campaign era.

In a viral video circulating on social media, MC Oluomo said he paid for hotel accommodations, logistics, and daily expenses for Nollywood actors, actresses and others during the campaign period.

Oluomo, a long time ally of Tinubu, revealed how he booked 140 hotel rooms at N45,000 per night for four months, in addition to daily stipends for those working on the campaign.

“I spent N756 million of my own money during the campaign. Nobody from Abuja gave me a dime. I paid for hotels and took care of everyone working day and night for Asiwaju’s victory", he said.

He also reaffirmed his loyalty to Tinubu ahead of 2027, noting that he’s ready to contribute even more towards the president’s reelection.

“We’re not resting. 2027 is around the corner, and we’re already working to make sure Asiwaju wins again,” he added.

HgAkpobomeEr:
Seyi Tinubu should be left alone.

ImIfeyinwaWj:
The hypocrisy in this editorial is mind-blowing. The writer is so consumed by envy that he cant see the bigger picture.