Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday vested the nation’s highest honours on the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). The Vice President was equally vested with the Grand Commander of Nigeria (GCON).
The event which signaled the first of the activities slated for ahead of the swearing in of the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which would come up at the Eagles Square, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Monday, May 29, 2023.
With the investiture, President-Elect’s name would not be complete without citing the official title of the GCFR, and same applies to the Vice President whose name now carries the title of the GCON, which is the second highest honour that Nigeria can ever bestow on an individual.
President Muhammadu Buhari also seized the opportunity to present the incoming President with a baton transmission. He equally handed over to the President-elect the transition documents which contained policy documents, and the baton of service, which was handed over to the incoming President.
The event was attended by top level government officials.
The GCFR is Nigeria’s highest honour. The nation’s honours cadre was established in 1964 by the late Premier Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Since its establishment, only two Nigerians who were never opportune to become the President have been awarded the GCFR title, the first being the first Premier of defunct Western Region, and Nigeria’s greatest political icon, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was awarded the GCFR in 1983, who was presented with the award by late President Usman Shehu Shagari, and the winner of the 1993 annulled Presidential election, late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, who was awarded the title by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.