National Honors: A Bright Spot After Many Unpopular Moves

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday conferred national honours on dozens of Nigerians, recognising them for their roles in the country’s democratic journey.

The action, a ray of light after many unpopular actions by the administration, was made during his State of the Nation address at the joint sitting of the National Assembly as part of activities for this year’s democracy day celebration.

Among the most notable honorees was the late Kudirat Abiola, wife of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola, who received a posthumous award of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka was conferred the prestigious title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second-highest national honour. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was honoured posthumously alongside Ken Saro-Wiwa who was honoured with Commander of Order of the Niger (CON) and other members of the Ogoni Nine: Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine who were conferred with Order of the Niger (OON). Late. Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, the former chairman of the National Electoral Commission who oversaw the landmark June 12, 1993 elections, which was adjudged the freest and fairest elections in Nigerian history was conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Festus Iyayi, a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and activist who died in a road accident in 2013, was also recognised with a CON. 

A National Blunder

The ceremony was marred by a glaring error that drew swift criticism. The presidency listed two living national figures, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, a respected Yoruba elder statesman, and Dr. Edwin Madunagu, a Marxist intellectual and journalist, under the posthumous honors category, prompting criticism on social media and across public discourse.

In a swift response, the Presidency issued an apology, describing the blunder as “an oversight.” A statement from the Presidency assured Nigerians that necessary corrections would be made to reflect the accurate status of the honorees and uphold the dignity of the awards.

A Beef Still Held High

Conspicuously, former Senate President Bukola Saraki was among the few notable figures left off the honours list. Saraki, alongside Adolphus Wabara, remains one of only two former Senate Presidents yet to receive a national honour. Saraki’s successive omissions are linked to his role in opposing former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, as well as his continued political opposition to President Tinubu. Wabara, on the other hand, is widely remembered for his resistance to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s failed third-term agenda.

Another notable omission was Babafemi Ojodu, a former journalist and close ally of the late MKO Abiola, whose contributions to the pro-democracy struggle have been widely acknowledged in Nigeria. 

Honors Well Deserved

The conferment of national honours is widely perceived as a long-overdue gesture of reconciliation and recognition. While President Bola Tinubu’s administration has faced widespread unpopularity since assuming office in 2023, largely due to economic hardship, the subsidy removal, and rising public discontent, this particular move marked a refreshing shift in tone and substance. 

For once, the honours were not disproportionately bestowed upon political loyalists or power brokers, but rather, on deserving Nigerians whose contributions to democracy, activism, human rights, journalism, and national development have long been sidelined.

This honors list includes a constellation of heroes, many of whom resisted military rule, endured imprisonment, or fought for social justice during Nigeria’s most turbulent periods. Among them are late and living figures such as Ndubuisi Kanu (CON), Balarabe Musa (CFR), Alfred Rewane (CFR), Bagauda Kaltho (OON), Chima Ubani (OON), Beko Ransome-Kuti (CON), Alao Aka Bashorun (CON), Frank Kokori (CON), Emma Ezeazu (OON), Bamidele Aturu (OON), and many other notable figures associated with the June 12 elections. 

It stands in stark contrast to past administrations that often used the national honours system to reward political allegiance rather than merit or sacrifice. Although President Tinubu’s broader governance continues to draw criticism, this decision has been hailed by many as one of the few bright spots of his tenure thus far, a symbolic but meaningful act of national healing and justice.