President Bola Tinubu has awarded the nation’s second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Friday night by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled, ‘President Tinubu Confers GCON on House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas’.
The decision comes amidst ongoing controversies and disagreements between the Senate and the House of Representatives regarding the Speaker’s eligibility for a higher national honour.
In his 64th Independence Anniversary speech on October 1, President Tinubu had originally conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honour on the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President. This sparked a debate in the House of Representatives, with members urging the President to grant the Speaker a more prestigious honour.
Onanuga explained, “President Tinubu was swayed by the position of the House of Representatives and has decided to correct this historical oversight.” He added, “The President has upgraded the Speaker’s honour to GCON from CFR, in line with the National Order of Precedence.”
The Speaker, along with the Senate President, other key officers of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, will be officially decorated with their new honours at a later date, according to the Presidency.