On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, members of the House of Representatives in Nigeria from various political parties called for the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Speaker, Honourable Tajudeen Abbas.
The lawmakers criticized the decision by President Bola Tinubu to award Abbas the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) while bestowing the GCON on Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
During the plenary session, Deputy Spokesman of the House, Philip Agbese, moved a motion of urgent public importance, expressing displeasure at what he described as the “demeaning” treatment of the House. Agbese argued that the Speaker, who ranks fourth in the country’s official protocol, should not receive an honour lower than that of the Chief Justice, who ranks fifth.
“We are not just speaking for Speaker, Honorable Abbas, but for the Office of the Speaker,” Agbese said, while other lawmakers echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the significance of properly recognizing the Speaker’s position in the nation’s hierarchy. The decision to award the GCON to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while granting the Speaker a lower honour, was also seen as an indication of treating the House of Representatives as inferior to the Senate.
This discussion follows President Tinubu’s Independence Day speech, where he announced the conferment of various national honours on the nation’s leaders.
