Mahdi Shehu Criticises Tinubu Over Alleged ADC Promotion, Calls It “Toxic and Biased”

Political commentator Mahdi Shehu has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the reported promotion of his Aide-de-Camp (ADC) from the rank of colonel to brigadier-general, describing the move as a breach of military protocol and a threat to professionalism within the Nigerian Armed Forces.

In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Shehu alleged that the President unilaterally approved the promotion, bypassing established military procedures and global best practices. According to him, such an action undermines due process and weakens institutional integrity within the military.

Shehu said the alleged promotion runs contrary to standard military norms and common sense, noting that it disregards the morale, discipline, and career progression of other serving officers.

He argued that the decision has disrupted the established military hierarchy, placing the ADC above officers who were previously his seniors and others with longer years of service.

“The implication of this toxically biased promotion is that the newly promoted ADC is now a mate to officers who were once his seniors and many years senior to his course mates,” Shehu wrote.
“This means prioritising loyalty to an individual over loyalty to institutions.”

The commentator further recalled that the same officer was reportedly promoted from lieutenant colonel to colonel just last year without completing the mandatory training. Under normal circumstances, Shehu claimed, the officer’s next promotion to brigadier-general would not have been due until 2028.

By the current promotion, Shehu said, the ADC now outranks all his course mates and other officers from his intake, a development he described as “institutional destruction.”

He warned that such perceived preferential treatment could demoralise officers and create long-term resentment within the ranks.

“This kind of avoidable, emotional promotion blunder will create permanent bitterness among officers and weaken discipline,” Shehu stated, adding that it could damage Nigeria’s military reputation among regional and global partners.

Shehu also cautioned that if the ADC were promoted again in 2027—possibly to the rank of major-general or even appointed Chief of Army Staff—it could force the premature retirement of over 8,000 senior officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

According to him, the development represents “a toxic, unilateral assault on professionalism, common sense, and the psychology of those who chose the military as a career,” concluding with the warning that “a stitch in time saves nine.”