President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made a U-Turn and bowed to pressure to confer the nation’s second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
In his 64th Independence Anniversary Speech on October 1, President Tinubu conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, on the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President.
He awarded the higher calibre of GCON on the Senate President.
This development led to protests in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, calling on the President to confer a higher honour on the Speaker.
President Tinubu, according to a release issued yesterday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, was persuaded by the House of Representatives position and has decided to remedy 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, Senate President, other principal officers of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice of Nigeria will be formally decorated with their new honours at a date yet to be fixed.
