Major opposition parties have criticised President Bola Tinubu for conferring the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on billionaire businessman and longtime associate Gilbert Chagoury, describing the move as a symbol of cronyism and the erosion of national values.
The parties spoke in separate interviews with PUNCH Online, faulting the timing, optics, and justification of the award, which is Nigeria’s second-highest national honour.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Ladipo Johnson, said the decision reflected what he described as Tinubu’s governing style, adding that the President was largely indifferent to public opinion.
He said, “I don’t think there is a need for us to feel funny about it. There is nothing worrisome about it, either. It’s a situation we are all aware of. For the past two years, the man (Tinubu) has spent so much time in France. The Chagourys are the ones to whom he gave the contracts of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway. They also built Eko Atlantic.
“So, I don’t know why we are worried. The President doesn’t give a damn if we are worried or not. He doesn’t take public opinion. He will always do what he wants to do and he has even done this one already. So, it shows you the sort of person we have as the Commander-in-Chief.
“On Nigerian Armed Forces Day, he wasn’t around. On Remembrance Day, he was nowhere to be found. So, he has shown you his priorities.”
Also reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, said while the President had the constitutional power to confer national honours, the decision exposed what he called the politicisation of the awards system.
“It’s within the prerogative of the President to give national honours to whoever he will. But, it also allows showing gratitude to his benefactors (laughs). So, our national honours have now been reduced to the settlement of personal IOUs. That’s how low Nigeria has sunk under Bola Tinubu.
“Never before have we been reduced to this level of the degeneration of our national values to the extent that the second-highest honour in the land will be given to some business associates,” he stated.
The Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, expressed similar concerns, questioning whether Chagoury’s contributions justified the conferment of such a prestigious national honour. Usman spoke through her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ken Asogwa.
“I understand a few Nigerians have received the highest national honour in foreign lands. But these things are always given depending on the contributions of the people in the countries that award them. It is not something that you just buy off the shelf.
“There are lots of considerations that countries look at before conferring such awards. I am not saying the GCON shouldn’t have been given to Chagoury. Legally speaking, he’s a Nigerian because he has a Nigerian passport. But I’m overlooking that aspect.
“What I’m looking at is whether he has done what merits being awarded the second-highest national honour in Nigeria. I know Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga have been given that. And it is a fact that Dangote is the highest private employer of labour in Nigeria. That alone makes him deserve that. It’s not because he’s a Nigerian.
“I’m not looking at anybody’s nationality or the colour of their skin. Aliko alone has tackled unemployment head-on in Nigeria, and he has done what even the government has found very difficult to do. That alone earns him that.
“But awarding your political ally or business partner Nigeria’s highest second national honour just because they are your friends is the highest level of cronyism I have ever seen in government,” she argued.
Tinubu recently conferred the GCON on Chagoury, citing his contributions to Nigeria’s development. In a letter dated January 8 and sighted on Monday, the President said the honour was in recognition of Chagoury’s services to the country.
“In exercise of the powers vested in me under section 1(4) of the National Honours Act, I, BOLA AHMED TINUBU, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in recognition of your outstanding virtues and in appreciation of your services to our country, Nigeria, HEREBY award to you to have, and enjoy title, dignity and all the privileges of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) given at Abuja under my Hand and the Public Seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” it read.
The award drew public commendation from billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, who described the honour as well deserved.
“Your life is a masterclass in vision, discipline, and steady excellence,” Otedola wrote. He highlighted Chagoury’s role in landmark real estate and infrastructure projects, noting their impact on job creation and urban development.
“From Banana Island to Eko Atlantic City, your work speaks in landmarks, jobs, and lasting impact, and your leadership has inspired generations of Nigerians to think bigger and act bolder,” he added.
“This honour is truly well deserved. I celebrate you today and always,” Otedola said.
Chagoury, a Lebanese-Nigerian born in Lagos to Lebanese immigrant parents, co-founded the Chagoury Group in 1971 with his younger brother, Ronald. The conglomerate has interests spanning construction, real estate, manufacturing, insurance, hospitality, telecommunications, IT, catering, and international financing.
The honour comes against the backdrop of controversy surrounding the award of the $11bn Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project to Chagoury’s company, Hitech, in 2024. The deal attracted scrutiny over the absence of a public bidding process and Tinubu’s longstanding personal and business ties with Chagoury.
