Top Nigerian Military Officers Set For Promotions As Generals Retire Today

The Nigeria Armed Forces has drawn up a list of over 50 mid-level officers who are due for promotion.

These individuals, who currently serve as brigadier generals and colonels in the Nigerian Army and its equivalent in the Navy and the air force, are expected to fill the gaps left by senior officers who recently retired.

The officers to be considered for promotion hail predominantly from Regular Course 43 of the Nigerian Defence Academy, although the Military Council Board responsible for approving promotions has yet to meet.

This development follows a July 3 deadline issued by the Military High Command, requiring senior military officers to tender their voluntary resignations.

As Major General Y. Yahaya wrote on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff in a memo dated June 26, the move aimed to uphold military hierarchy and service discipline.

According to Daily Trust, a Defence Headquarters memo, copied to the Army, navy, and air force headquarters, instructed officers senior to Regular Course 39 of the NDA to apply for voluntary retirement.

It has been reported that all members of the 38 Regular Course of the NDA submitted their retirement applications before the close of work on Friday, as directed.

A senior military officer who spoke with the platform said some members of 39 Regular Course of the NDA submitted their applications except those redeployed newly by the new service chiefs.

The source suggested that the approval for the promotions would occur after the Military Council Board had reviewed and approved the list of recommended candidates.

An anonymous member of RC 43 added that officers from RC 40, 41, and 42 have already reached the ranks of major generals, rear admirals, and AVM, and are currently filling the vacant positions following the recent changes.

He said, “Those positions that were left vacant have already been occupied or are in the process of being occupied, and the officers that are occupying those positions are already in the rank cadre. I mean they are already wearing the rank they require to occupy them.

“When the service chiefs are promoted, except they want to change the old order, their course mates cannot be promoted because we cannot have two captains in a boat. When the service chiefs are promoted to lieutenant generals, their course mates will remain, major generals, while they are still in service.”

The spokesman of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan speaking on the promotion issue said, “I don’t know, I’m not aware. The promotion that normally comes at this time, except you’re talking about another one, is the service chiefs that have just resumed.

“Normally, when they resume office like this, and the National Assembly confirms them, then, the Chief of Defence Staff will be promoted to the four-star general (full general) while the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Lagbaja will be promoted to Lt.-Gen.

“Rear Admiral Ogalla will be promoted to vice admiral, while Air Vice Marshal Abubakar will be promoted to air marshal. That’s the only one we anticipate. I don’t know of any other one because promotion in the services comes at about this time when middle cadre officers are considered by the promotion board. 

“Around the last quarter of the year, the senior officers or cadre are considered for 1-star and 2-star generals. That’s the only one I know and the timetable has not changed over the years. It cannot just change now.”

Meanwhile, the new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja has retained some of his coursemates to work with him closely at the headquarters in an effort to address the country’s security challenges.

One such appointment includes Major General Jimmy Akpor as the Chief of Administration at Army Headquarters.