Speaker Tajudeen Abbas was awarded a national honour, but the House of Representatives rejected it, claiming that President Bola Tinubu had discriminated against the House by awarding Senate President Godswill Akpabio a greater accolade.

Recall that on Tuesday, Tinubu revealed that Abbas and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau had been awarded the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), while Akpabio and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere Ekun, had been named Grand Commanders of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

Philip Agbese submitted a resolution of urgent public interest on Wednesday, and the House decided that since senators and representatives are equal, they should be treated similarly.

The resolution, which was supported by 360 House members, demanded that the “upper chamber and lower chamber nomenclature” be abandoned in favour of treating both legislatures equally.