The military in personalistic dictatorships is often deliberately kept weak so as to not act as a power base for a potential rival:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Personalistic dictators are often paranoid about potential rivals and therefore keep the military weak and fragmented to prevent the emergence of a powerful challenger. This is why personalistic dictators rely heavily on other means of coercion such as secret police, intelligence agencies, and loyalist militias to maintain their grip on power.

The Military in Personalistic Dictatorships Is Often Deliberately Kept Weak