The House of Representatives has strongly opposed the recent conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) award on Speaker Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, labeling it as a “subordinate” honor compared to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award given to the President of the Senate. The Green Chamber emphasized its commitment to the constitutional principle of equality between the two chambers and called for the end of practices that undermine this balance.
In a motion titled “Multi-Partisan Motion on the Inappropriate Discrimination Against the House of Representatives,” Hon. Philip Agbese, supported by 235 lawmakers, stressed the importance of maintaining the legislative independence and equal status of both chambers, as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
Agbese highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the portrayal of the House as inferior to the Senate, especially through the use of terms like “upper chamber” and “lower chamber,” which misrepresent the legal standing of both houses. He also pointed out the practice of referring to the Senate President as the “Chairman of the National Assembly,” a title that lacks legal basis and undermines the authority of the Speaker.
The motion also criticized the recent national honors conferred by President Bola Tinubu, noting that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, a lower-ranking official in protocol, was awarded the GCON while the Speaker of the House was given a lesser honor. This practice, Agbese argued, continues to perpetuate the wrongful subordination of the House of Representatives to the Senate.
The House reaffirmed its position that both chambers are equal, with distinct roles, and urged all government institutions and the media to refrain from language that implies a hierarchical structure between the Senate and the House of Representatives.