President Bola Tinubu has conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), the nation’s second-highest national honour, on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, made the announcement in a statement issued on Friday night, titled, “President Tinubu Confers GCON on House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas..”

The decision comes amid ongoing controversies and heated exchanges between the Senate and the House of Representatives regarding the Speaker’s eligibility for a higher honour.

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

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Following this development, a debate was held in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, calling on President Tinubu to bestow a higher honour on the Speaker.

Onanuga stated, “President Tinubu was persuaded by the House of Representatives position and has decided to correct 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, along with the 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 later date, according to the Presidency.