President Tinubu has awarded the second-highest national honour to the Speaker following a recommendation from the House of Representatives. Learn more about the honour and its significance.
President Bola Tinubu has promoted Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), which is Nigeria’s second-highest national honor.
This decision comes in response to a protest by members of the National Assembly’s lower chamber.
In his address for the 64th Independence Anniversary on October 1, Tinubu initially conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honor upon both the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President.
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However, this decision led to a debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday as lawmakers encouraged the President to grant a higher honor to Speaker Abbas.
On Friday, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, issued a statement confirming that the President has decided to rectify what was described as a “historical error and oversight.”
Onanuga stated that he has therefore decided to elevate the Speaker from CFR to GCON, in line with the National Order of Precedence.
He also noted that the Speaker, Senate President, other principal officers of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria would receive their new honors in an official ceremony at a later date.
