Members of the House of Representatives, representing various political parties, have demanded the national honor of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) for the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. During Wednesday’s plenary session, the House expressed discontent over the decision to confer the Speaker with the lower honor of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), while the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was granted the prestigious GCON title.

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In a motion raised by Deputy Spokesman Philip Agbese, lawmakers criticized President Bola Tinubu’s allocation of national honors, particularly highlighting the higher recognition given to Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who received the GCON title. Agbese argued that this move undermined the importance of the House, which is ranked above the judiciary in protocol order. He emphasized that the Speaker, ranked 4th, should have received the same honor as the Senate President, rather than being treated as inferior to the Senate.

The debate follows President Tinubu’s Independence Day speech on Tuesday, where he announced various national honors for the country’s leaders. Lawmakers stressed that their objections were not a personal defense of Speaker Abbas, but a stand for the dignity of the Office of the Speaker.