Army Clarifies Oluyede’s Purported Landmark Promotion Initiative

The Nigerian Army has described social media reports alleging that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, has introduced a landmark policy to automatically promote officers who have served beyond the required number of years on a rank as false and misleading.

Naijaonpoint reports that the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Tuesday, clarified that the Army remains committed to established promotion protocols that ensure fairness, professionalism, and operational effectiveness across the service.

The Army emphasized that promotion is a structured, merit-based process, governed by clear statutory regulations rather than arbitrary social media claims, stressing that it adheres to uniform promotion standards across the Armed Forces of Nigeria and will not compromise these principles.

The Army called on the public to dismiss the deceptive publication, which lacks credibility, adding that its key promotion requirements include:

• Serving the minimum stipulated period in a substantive rank.
• Successful completion of required professional courses.
• Maintaining a satisfactory disciplinary and performance record.
• Meeting medical and physical fitness standards.

The statement reads, “The Nigerian Army has been made aware of misleading and baseless claims circulating on social media, insinuating that the COAS, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, has introduced an automatic promotion initiative for personnel who have served in their current rank for five years or more.

“This deliberate misinformation is not only untrue but also designed to mislead personnel and the public.

“Promotion in the Nigerian Army follows well-defined statutory guidelines as outlined in the Nigerian Army Administrative Policies and Procedures (Revised 2023) and the Armed Forces of Nigeria Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service for Soldiers, Ratings, and Airmen (2024).

“It is neither automatic nor subject to social media speculation.

“The Nigerian Army upholds unified standards of promotion, ensuring that fairness, professionalism, and operational effectiveness are maintained.

“We will not deviate from these established protocols.

“The COAS, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, remains committed to the welfare, career progression, and professional development of Army personnel under his “Soldier First” mantra.

“However, he will not act in a manner that undermines due process or violates international best practices.”