Gbajabiamila Requests Special Promotions For Eight Police Officers Attached To Politicians

Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila has reportedly written to the Police Service Commission requesting special promotions for eight police officers attached to politicians.

The request has drawn attention because police promotions are ordinarily handled through the commission’s internal processes, and any special treatment for officers close to political power is likely to raise questions inside and outside the force.

Letters Sent To The PSC

According to the reports, the request was contained in two separate letters dated February 20, 2026. One letter listed three officers, while the second letter listed five officers recommended for elevation.

TheCable reported that the request sought to promote one officer from Assistant Commissioner of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police, and two others from Chief Superintendent of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Gbajabiamila was quoted as saying the recommendation was made in recognition of the officers’ leadership qualities, gallantry, teamwork and performance in their respective offices.

The report did not suggest that the promotions had already been approved. It placed the matter before the Police Service Commission, which is the body constitutionally and statutorily responsible for police appointments, promotions and discipline, apart from the office of the Inspector-General of Police.

Why The Request Is Controversial

The controversy is not simply that a senior public official wrote a recommendation. The concern is whether officers attached to powerful politicians should receive accelerated promotions when many officers serving in difficult security theatres wait years for advancement.

The Police Service Commission Act gives the PSC authority over appointments and promotions in the Nigeria Police Force. The law also says the commission should not be subject to the direction, control or supervision of any other authority or person in the performance of its functions, except as provided by law.

That provision is why the request is likely to be viewed with suspicion by critics, especially at a time when morale within the police remains a sensitive issue.

A police officer quoted in the report warned that special promotions for officers attached to politicians could send the wrong message to personnel fighting insecurity in more dangerous postings.

Presidency, PSC Yet To Respond

As of press time, neither the presidency nor the Police Service Commission had publicly responded to the report.

The matter also comes against the background of earlier debates over special promotions within the security services, where critics have repeatedly argued that career progression should be transparent and tied to clear service rules.

If the PSC rejects the request, it may quiet the controversy. If it acts on it, the commission could face pressure to explain the basis for the promotions and how they fit into existing police promotion guidelines.

For now, the report has reopened an old question inside Nigeria’s security system: how much influence should political office holders have over the careers of officers assigned to them?

Sources: TheCable, New Telegraph, Naija News