President Bola Tinubu has upgraded the national honour bestowed upon the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), the second highest national honour in Nigeria.
This development follows President Tinubu’s announcement during his 64th Independence Anniversary speech on October 1, where he initially conferred the rank of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President. The decision sparked a debate within the House of Representatives, with members urging the President to award the Speaker a higher honour in recognition of his position.
In response, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement on Friday, explaining the President’s decision to correct what was described as a “historical error and oversight.”
“President Tinubu was persuaded by the position of the House of Representatives and has decided to remedy the situation,” the statement read. “He has therefore upgraded the Speaker to GCON from CFR, in line with the National Order of Precedence.”
The statement also confirmed that the Speaker, along with the Senate President, other principal officers of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, will be officially decorated with their new honours at a later date.
