Abuja, Nigeria – June 14, 2025
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, raising eyebrows as the honour ranks lower than the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) previously awarded to him by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The development has sparked conversations among political observers and stakeholders, given that national honours are typically not downgraded. Maku, who served as Minister under the Jonathan administration and is currently active in regional politics, had received the CON in recognition of his public service.
Analysts note that the recent OON award may have been part of a general conferment list rather than a targeted reassessment of previous honours. There has been no official statement from Maku or the presidency addressing the discrepancy.
The National Honours are bestowed as a mark of distinction and recognition of service to the nation, with categories ranked in ascending order from Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) to Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
Observers await clarification on whether the new honour supersedes or conflicts with the previous one, as such instances are rare in Nigeria’s honours system.
