Prosper Okoye
A senior opposition politician has called on Nigeria’s National Assembly to investigate the reported conferment of one of the country’s highest honours on businessman Gilbert Chagoury.
In an open letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Funso Doherty, a PDP chieftain, expressed concern about Mr Chagoury’s reported appointment as a Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), which was allegedly conferred on 8 January 2026.
Mr Doherty highlighted what he described as three troubling aspects of the award.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe noted that public knowledge of the conferment did not come through official government channels, but rather surfaced after a congratulatory message from a private individual on 19 January — more than a week after the supposed date of the award.
“This unusual mode of disclosure is troubling,” he wrote, adding that it is “particularly concerning given the widely reported close personal association between the recipient and the President.”
Under the National Honours Act, the President is required to publish a notice in the Federal Gazette before appointing someone to an order. While the law allows for a special warrant in certain circumstances, Mr Doherty said there was no public evidence that such a warrant had been issued or gazetted for this award. “The law requires that decisions of this nature be documented and transparent,” he said.
The open letter also cited an Instrument of Conferment circulating in the media, which states the award was “Given at Abuja… this 8th day of January, 2026.” Mr Doherty said President Bola Tinubu was reportedly outside the country on that date, raising questions about the award’s validity.
“His power in this regard is not delegable. The very validity of the award is thereby called into question,” the letter said.
Mr Doherty urged the House of Representatives to exercise its constitutional oversight, saying honours of such rank “speak directly to the values, integrity and collective honour of our nation.”
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The letter was also copied to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who serves as Registrar of National Honours.
Attempts to reach the Presidency for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
