ABUJA: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday criticized President Bola Tinubu for conferring Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party described the gesture as a “misplaced priority” and questioned the rationale behind awarding such a prestigious honour based solely on diplomatic relations.
Speaking to reporters, Timothy Osadolor, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, expressed disappointment with the President’s decision. “While the President has the right to confer national honours, there must be clear criteria showing why the recipient deserves it,” Osadolor stated. He argued that the honour should not be given merely for friendship, questioning what tangible contributions Prime Minister Modi had made to Nigeria that justified such an award.
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The criticism from the PDP came shortly after Tinubu presented Modi with the national honour during a Nigeria/India bilateral meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. In his remarks, President Tinubu praised Modi for his leadership, stating that the honour was a recognition of India’s longstanding relationship with Nigeria. We value our excellent relationship with India, and this award symbolizes our appreciation and commitment to deepening our bilateral ties, Tinubu said.
President Bola Tinubu having handshake with the PM of India at the Villa
The Indian Prime Minister reciprocated the gesture by offering condolences for Nigeria’s recent flooding crisis and pledged 20 tonnes of relief materials. Modi also highlighted areas for further cooperation between the two countries, including defence, trade, technology, and education.
However, the PDP’s Osadolor questioned the decision to bestow such a high honour without clear, specific contributions to Nigeria’s development. He suggested that rather than handing out symbolic awards, President Tinubu should have engaged Modi in more substantive discussions about economic growth and development. India has made remarkable progress, transforming itself from the poverty capital of the world to one of the fastest growing economies, Osadolor noted. Tinubu should have used this opportunity to learn from India’s economic success, particularly in tech and business, instead of focusing on empty gestures.
Osadolor also expressed concern that the current administration was prioritizing symbolism over addressing Nigeria’s pressing issues. Nigerians are hungry, facing hardship, and struggling with basic challenges. The technologies that India is deploying globally could help address some of these problems, but the government seems more focused on media gimmicks and theatrics than on real solutions, he said.
In contrast, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nze Chidi Duru, defended the President’s actions. Duru dismissed the PDP’s criticism, arguing that conferring such an honour was well within the President’s discretion and was not unprecedented. If the process was followed and the award was conferred in line with established protocols, then it is the President’s prerogative to award it as he sees fit, Duru stated. He urged the PDP to move beyond emotional politics and focus on more constructive issues that could improve the country, such as creating a better environment for business and addressing food security.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Nigerian security expert Dr. Sylvester Okere weighed in on the growing Nigeria-India partnership. Dr. Okere, who will speak at the upcoming 19th Security Leadership Summit in New Delhi, noted that the Indian-Nigerian collaboration could enhance security and protect assets in both nations. Okere is scheduled to address critical security issues affecting both countries at the summit, which will be hosted by the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) from November 21-22, 2024.
As the debate continues, the controversy surrounding the awarding of national honours to foreign leaders highlights the ongoing tensions between the ruling and opposition parties, with each side staking a claim on the direction of Nigeria’s foreign policy and domestic priorities
