ABUJA: President Bola Tinubu has conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) title on the Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas
In his 64th Independence Day address, President Tinubu awarded the title of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) to both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
However,Tinubu reverses,confer GCON on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. This decision was met with dissatisfaction by the House of Representatives, which argued that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas deserved a higher honour, similar to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) title bestowed upon Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
Lawmakers emphasized that both the Senate and the House of Representatives are equal chambers, and that the House should not be referred to as the “lower chamber.”
Just few days after the initial announcement, President Tinubu revised his decision and conferred the GCON honour on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the change in a statement, explaining that Tinubu was convinced by the House’s position and decided to correct the historical oversight.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the nation’s second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas,” Onanuga stated.
He added that the Speaker, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, other key National Assembly leaders, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria would officially receive their new honours at a formal ceremony.
Amid the House of Representatives’ demands, the Presidency reiterated that there is a harmonious working relationship between the House and the Senate, contrary to rumours of discord.
It is noteworthy that the House did not reject the honour conferred on the Speaker but rather sought clarification on the National Order of Precedence
