President Bows to Pressure, Confers GCON Honour on Abbas

*Senate President, Speaker, CJN, others to be decorated with national honours

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has conferred 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, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

In his 64th Independence Anniversary Speech on 1 October, President Tinubu had conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President.

This development led to a debate 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 statement added that 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.