The House of Representatives has rejected the national honour conferred on its Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, by President Bola Tinubu, citing inequality with the Senate President. The House mandated its relevant committees to liaise with the Presidency to amend the National Honours Act of 1964.
On Wednesday, the House debated a motion titled, “Multi-partisan motion on the inappropriate discrimination against the House of Representatives and the presentation of the chamber as inferior to the Senate.” Deputy spokesman Philip Agbese described the treatment as “unacceptable” and “demeaning,” noting the Speaker’s protocol ranking is fourth, while the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who received GCON, ranks fifth.
Agbese emphasized, “There is an ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, often portrayed as inferior to the Senate… The terminology ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ chamber misrepresents the legal status of both chambers and diminishes the House’s standing.”
Lawmakers argued they were not advocating for Abbas personally but for the Office of the Speaker. Sada Soli urged President Tinubu to “do the right thing” and confer the GCON title on the Speaker, while Babajimi Benson described the practice of treating the Office of the Speaker with disdain as “an institutional error that has festered for too long.”
The House directed its Clerk to ensure all National Assembly communications refer to both the Speaker and Senate President as co-heads. Speaker Abbas inaugurated an ad hoc committee to propose amendments to the National Honours Act and ensure the Speaker receives the GCON title, achieving parity with the Senate President.
The committee, chaired by House Leader Prof Julius Ihonvbere, aims to accomplish this before the formal decoration by President Tinubu. The House also called on government institutions, officials, and the media to avoid language suggesting a hierarchical structure between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The National Honours Act of 1964 does not explicitly prescribe specific honours for the Speaker or Senate President. The 1999 Constitution affirms equal status between both chambers, with bills requiring concurrence from both to become law.
The House seeks equal recognition, not just for the Speaker but for the institution itself. As Etinosa Akarachi noted, “The House should be treated as equal with the Senate considering our numbers.”
