President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has elevated the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to the nation’s second-highest national honor, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), following a protest from members of the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
In his October 1 Independence Day address, Tinubu had conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President, sparking debate in the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers argued that the Speaker deserved a higher honor.
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Responding to the House’s appeal, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, issued a statement on Friday explaining that Tinubu was convinced by their position and moved to correct the “historical error and oversight.”
“Thus, he has decided to upgrade the Speaker to GCON from CFR, in accordance with the National Order of Precedence.
“The speaker, the Senate President, other principal officers of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice of Nigeria will be formally decorated with their new honours later.”