The House of Representatives has expressed dissatisfaction following President Bola Tinubu’s recent conferment of national honors, highlighting perceived discrimination against the Green Chamber.
In a motion backed by all 360 lawmakers, the House objected to the awarding of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, while the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, received the lesser honor of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
The lawmakers emphasized that both chambers of the National Assembly are equal, rejecting the notion of the House of Representatives as a “lower chamber.” They pointed out the discrepancy in honor rankings, particularly noting that the Chief Justice holds a position lower than that of the Speaker.
In a broadcast celebrating Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day, President Tinubu announced the honors. Alongside Akpabio, he also conferred the CFR on Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and awarded the Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) to Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
The House of Representatives has called on President Tinubu to rectify what they termed an error in the awarding of national honors.
