Why the New IGP Must Protect the Integrity of Police Promotions as Nigerians Are Watching

Why the New IGP Must Protect the Integrity of Police Promotions as Nigerians Are Watching

…Some Officers Climb the Ladder, Others Take the Elevator….

By: Zagazola Makama

There are many roads to promotion in the Nigeria Police Force. Some are long, winding and filled with hardship. They pass through insurgency-ravaged communities in Borno, bandit-infested forests in Zamfara, kidnapping hotspots in Niger State and dangerous highways where officers routinely place their lives on the line.

Recent revelations published by TheCable have reopened an uncomfortable conversation within the Nigeria Police Force and among members of the public: Is promotion in the Force still governed primarily by merit and institutional procedures, or is proximity to political power becoming an increasingly valuable qualification?

The controversy stems from reports that Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, wrote two separate letters to the Police Service Commission (PSC) requesting special promotion for eight police officers attached to political office holders, including officers attached to the President.

One of the letters, dated February 20, 2026, reportedly contained the names of three officers, while another listed five officers.

The recommendations sought the elevation of one officer from Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), while others were recommended for promotion from Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

According to the report, the officers were recommended on account of their “exemplary leadership qualities, gallantry, teamwork and general performance.” Nobody disputes that these are admirable qualities.

Indeed, they are precisely the qualities expected of every police officer. Yet that is where the debate begins.

Across police formations nationwide, many officers quietly wonder whether gallantry has suddenly become more visible when displayed within the corridors of power than when demonstrated on the frontlines.

For decades, Nigerian police officers have worked under difficult conditions. Many have fought insurgents in the North-East. Others have pursued armed bandits through forests and mountains. Some have lost colleagues in violent confrontations with criminals. Many have spent years separated from their families while serving in high-risk operational environments.

Yet promotion has traditionally followed a structured process involving service records, examinations, seniority, performance assessments and recommendations through established channels.

That is why the reported intervention by a political office holder has generated concern.
Not necessarily because the officers involved are unqualified. Rather, because many fear the precedent it may establish.

One senior officer, speaking anonymously, observed that if recommendation letters from political offices become an accepted route to accelerated promotion, many officers may begin to reassess what constitutes career excellence.

“The officer risking his life in a remote operational base may start wondering whether his greatest mistake was choosing a dangerous posting instead of a strategic attachment,” he said.

The remark was delivered with humour. Its implications are anything but amusing.

The controversy revolves largely around the provisions of the Police Service Commission Act. Section 6 of the Act clearly assigns responsibility for appointments and promotions of police officers, excluding the Inspector-General of Police to the Police Service Commission.

The same legislation states that the Commission shall not be subject to the direction, control or supervision of any authority or person in the exercise of those responsibilities.

It was argued that while the President may issue directives relating to broad policy matters affecting the Commission, the law was deliberately designed to shield personnel decisions from external influence. A professional police force therefore cannot thrive if promotions become susceptible to political pressure.

This is not merely a legal issue. It is a question of institutional credibility. Every disciplined organisation depends on the confidence of its members. An officer who spends years serving in difficult and dangerous environments must believe that hard work, competence and sacrifice remain the principal pathways to advancement.

Once that belief weakens, morale inevitably suffers. Many retired officers argue that the greatest threat to any institution is not always external. Sometimes it is the gradual erosion of confidence in the fairness of internal processes.

The controversy has also revived memories of a similar debate within the military.

It will be recalled that President Tinubu’s aide-de-camp, Nurudeen Yusuf, reportedly rose from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel in January 2025 and was subsequently to be elevated to Brigadier-General through what was described as a special presidential promotion. The proposal reportedly generated significant disquiet within military circles before plans for the decoration were shelved.

The latest revelation however, revives questions that have refused to go away.

Are Nigeria’s security institutions drifting toward a culture in which proximity to political power increasingly influences career progression? Or are these isolated incidents being misunderstood? Whatever the answer, perception matters. And perception, rightly or wrongly, is often more powerful than official explanations. The average police officer does not read legal opinions. He observes outcomes.

He watches who gets promoted, how quickly it happens and what circumstances surround the process. If he concludes that some officers are operating on a faster track, resentment may follow. That is why many stakeholders believe the issue deserves careful handling by the new Inspector-General of Police.

At a time when the Force is striving to improve professionalism, discipline and public confidence, few issues are more sensitive than promotion. Every rank earned should command respect. Every promotion should inspire confidence. Every officer should believe that the rules apply equally to all.

This is why many Nigerians believe the new IGP faces a challenge that goes beyond crime-fighting. He must protect the credibility of the promotion system.

He must convince officers that career progression is determined by professionalism, competence and sacrifice rather than access to corridors of power.

Otherwise, the message being sent across the Force may be difficult to ignore. Why spend years chasing criminals in forests when a posting close to political power appears capable of performing miracles for one’s career?

Why endure hardship postings when proximity may be more rewarding than performance?
Such questions may be uncomfortable, but they are increasingly being asked.

The truth is that institutions are weakened not only by corruption or insecurity. They are weakened when their members begin to suspect that rules apply differently depending on who is involved. The Nigeria Police Force cannot afford that perception.

Whether fair or unfair, that perception alone can damage an institution. The new IGP would therefore be wise to remember one important fact. Nigerians are watching. More importantly, police officers are watching.

And in an institution built on discipline and hierarchy, nothing attracts attention quite like a fast-moving elevator in a building where everyone else is climbing the stairs.

Why the New IGP Must Protect the Integrity of Police Promotions as Nigerians Are Watching