President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has elevated Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to the nation’s second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). The upgrade comes after a protest by members of the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
In his Independence Day address on October 1, during Nigeria’s 64th anniversary, Tinubu had initially conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on both the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President. However, this move sparked debate within the House of Representatives, with members advocating for a higher honour to be granted to the Speaker.
Responding to the concerns raised by the House, President Tinubu decided to rectify what was described as a “historical error and oversight.” In a statement on Friday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, explained that the President had been persuaded by the House’s position and opted to upgrade Abbas from CFR to GCON, aligning with the National Order of Precedence.
Onanuga also noted that the Speaker, the Senate President, and other key figures in the National Assembly, along with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, will soon be formally decorated with their newly conferred honours.
