President Bola Tinubu has elevated the national honour of Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, revealed this in a Friday statement.

In his 64th Independence Day speech on October 1, Tinubu had initially awarded Abbas and the deputy senate president with the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

However, the House of Representatives argued that the honour didn’t reflect the Speaker’s role, prompting a debate on Wednesday.

Responding to the House’s stance, President Tinubu addressed the “historical oversight” by upgrading Abbas to GCON, aligning with the National Order of Precedence.

Onanuga confirmed that the president was convinced by the House’s reasoning and rectified the situation.

The statement read: “President Bola Tinubu has conferred the country’s second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

“During his Independence Day address on October 1, the president awarded the CFR title to both the Speaker and the Deputy Senate President.

“This sparked debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, urging the President to confer a higher title on the Speaker.

“President Tinubu considered the House’s position and opted to address the historical oversight by promoting Abbas to GCON, as per the National Order of Precedence.

“The Speaker, the Senate President, and other key figures will receive their honours in a formal ceremony soon,” the statement noted