Former presidential aspirant and public policy advocate, Funso Doherty, has called on Nigeria’s House of Representatives to investigate the reported conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on businessman Gilbert Chagoury.
This was contained in an open letter dated January 24, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
Doherty questioned both the substance and the procedure surrounding the national honour, which was reportedly awarded by President Bola Tinubu on January 8, 2026, allegedly to mark Chagoury’s birthday.
What Doherty is saying
According to Doherty, the manner in which the award became public knowledge was itself unusual.
Rather than being announced through an official presidential or government channel, the conferment only surfaced more than a week later, following a congratulatory message issued by a private individual on January 19.
“This mode of disclosure is troubling,” Doherty said, especially given what he described as the widely reported close personal relationship between the award recipient and the President.
- While acknowledging the President’s broad authority to confer national honours, Doherty noted that the law requires such powers to be exercised through a formal National Honours Warrant, typically published in the Federal Gazette.
- He added that even where a special warrant is used, it must still be properly issued and documented.
“As of today, there is no evidence that any such warrant was issued or gazetted in respect of this conferment,” Doherty said, adding that no official explanation has been provided for the apparent departure from established statutory procedure.
Doherty also highlighted inconsistencies in an Instrument of Conferment currently circulating in the public domain.
The document states that the award was given in Abuja on January 8, 2026, under the President’s hand and the Public Seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- However, Doherty noted that it is a matter of public record that the President was outside Nigeria on that date, raising questions about the validity of the instrument, given that the power to confer national honours is not delegable.
- He urged the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, to examine the matter as part of its constitutional oversight responsibilities.
Backstory
The honour was reportedly awarded in Abuja on January 8, 2026.
Public awareness of the conferment gained momentum after Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola issued a congratulatory message describing Chagoury as a mentor and role model, citing his decades-long influence on Lagos’ urban development and Nigeria’s broader economic growth.
The GCON sits just below the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and has historically been awarded to distinguished Nigerians and foreign leaders whose contributions are considered nationally significant.
What you should know
GCON is Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, typically awarded to senior public officials, jurists, and foreign leaders with notable contributions to Nigeria or global diplomacy.
- In 2024, President Tinubu conferred the GCON on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recognising his role in strengthening India–Nigeria bilateral relations and his global leadership.
- Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Nigeria in 17 years and dedicated the honour to the people of India and the longstanding ties between both countries.
- In 2022, former Chief Justice of Nigeria Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed received the GCON from late-President Muhammadu Buhari following his resignation from office.
Buhari described Mohammed’s tenure as one marked by contributions to the judiciary, democratic governance, and national development.
