The Nigerian House of Representatives has declined the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) awarded to its Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, expressing dissatisfaction over what they perceive as unequal treatment compared to the Senate.
The decision was made during a plenary session on Wednesday, where members of the House strongly opposed the honour granted by President Bola Tinubu, citing favoritism toward the Senate.
The controversy began when President Tinubu announced national honours on Tuesday. Senate President Godswill Akpabio was awarded the prestigious Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), a rank that places him among the top-tier recipients of the award.
In contrast, Speaker Abbas, along with Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, was awarded the CFR, a lower-ranking honour. This sparked outrage among members of the House of Representatives, who felt that the recognition of their Speaker was insufficient in comparison to that of the Senate President.
During Wednesday’s plenary session, a motion of urgent public importance was introduced by Hon. Philip Agbese, representing the House’s shared concerns. The motion, which was reportedly signed by all 360 members of the House, called for an immediate review of the honours system.
The lawmakers argued that the House of Representatives should not be seen as inferior to the Senate, and the leadership of both chambers deserved equal recognition from the executive branch.
The motion also proposed the abolition of the terms “upper chamber” and “lower chamber” often used to describe the Senate and the House, respectively. According to the representatives, this terminology perpetuates the notion of one chamber being superior to the other.
