The House of Representatives has expressed dissatisfaction with what it sees as discriminatory treatment in the recent awarding of national honors by President Bola Tinubu.
During Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day broadcast On Tuesday, the President awarded the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) title to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
This move was deemed inappropriate by the lawmakers.
On Wednesday, during plenary, members of the House, cutting across political lines, demanded that the Speaker be awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), similar to the honour given to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
They argued that as the fourth-ranking official in the country’s protocol order, the Speaker deserves equal recognition.
They questioned why the Chief Justice of Nigeria, ranked fifth, received the GCON title.
Deputy House Spokesman Philip Agbese led the motion, highlighting that the issue was not personal to Abbas but a matter of respect for the Office of the Speaker.
Lawmakers insisted that the House should not be treated as inferior to the Senate.
