In a notable development, the House of Representatives has officially rejected the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honor announced by President Bola Tinubu for the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, during his Independence Anniversary speech.
During a plenary session on Wednesday, the House called on President Tinubu to instead confer the National honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the Speaker’s office. This resolution is rooted in the belief that the office of the Speaker holds a higher status than that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is also set to receive the GCON honor.
The motion was brought forward by the deputy spokesperson of the House, Philip Agbese, and supported by 248 other representatives. Agbese highlighted that the National Assembly is constitutionally defined as a bicameral legislature composed of two equal chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, as outlined in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Agbese expressed concerns over a perceived culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, which is often portrayed as inferior to the Senate. He criticized the terminology that refers to the Senate as the “upper chamber” and the House as the “lower chamber,” arguing that this language misrepresents the legal status of both chambers and undermines the standing of the House.
He stated, “Worried by the growing trend where the President of the Senate is referred to as the ‘Chairman of the National Assembly,’ which inaccurately implies a hierarchical structure between the two chambers, contrary to the Constitution, and undermines the authority of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
Agbese emphasized that neither the institution nor the Standing Orders recognize the title of a Chairman of the National Assembly, which lacks legal basis and diminishes the authority of the Speaker.
He further noted that the recent conferment of national honors to the leadership of the National Assembly reflected this discriminatory practice. While expressing gratitude for the recognition of the Assembly’s leadership, the motion pointed out that conferring GCON on the President of the Senate and CFR on the Speaker and Deputy President of the Senate perpetuates the subordination of the Speaker.
Agbese concluded that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, being lower in protocol ranking than the Speaker, receiving the same honor (GCON) further exemplifies this culture of discrimination against the leadership of the House.
The resolution aims to address these perceived inequalities and to enhance the recognition and standing of the House of Representatives within the national framework.