President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has elevated the national honour of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), following concerns raised by members of the House. This change came after protests within the legislative chamber over the initial award given to Abbas.
In his Independence Day speech on October 1, marking Nigeria's 64th anniversary, President Tinubu had conferred Abbas and the Deputy Senate President with the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honour. However, this sparked debate among House members, who argued that the Speaker deserved a higher recognition based on national precedence.
Responding to the concerns, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, released a statement on Friday, October 4, acknowledging the oversight. He stated that President Tinubu decided to correct the "historical error" by upgrading Abbas' award to the nation's second highest honour, the GCON.
"President Tinubu has been persuaded by the position of the House of Representatives and has thus decided to upgrade the Speaker to GCON from CFR, in accordance with the National Order of Precedence," the statement read.
The official ceremony to decorate the Senate President, Speaker, and other key officials with their new honours is expected to take place at a later date.
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