Tinubu Awards Labaran Maku OON — 11 Years After He Was Previously Honoured with a Higher CON.

Labaran Maku, former Minister of Information

On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu conferred national honours on 66 distinguished Nigerians during a joint session of the National Assembly, in recognition of their service to the country.

Among the honourees was Labaran Maku, former Minister of Information, who was awarded the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). However, the award has raised eyebrows, as Maku was previously conferred with a higher national honour Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2014 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The CON is traditionally awarded to high-ranking public officials such as ministers, governors, and senior civil servants. It ranks above the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and significantly above the OON, which Maku was awarded this time.

Despite growing public curiosity, the presidency has yet to clarify why Maku received a lower-ranking honour more than a decade after receiving a higher one.

Adding to the controversy, the presidency mistakenly included Reuben Fasoranti and Edwin Madunagu among posthumous award recipients. The error was later acknowledged and an official apology was issued.

In a related development, national honours have sparked debates in recent years over ranking inconsistencies. In 2024, the House of Representatives rejected the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) honour initially proposed for Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, citing it as insufficient. Following pushback, President Tinubu eventually upgraded Abbas and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)—the nation’s second-highest honour.

Who is Labaran Maku?

Labaran Maku served as Nigeria’s Minister of Information from 2010 to 2014, under Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2015, after failing to secure the governorship ticket under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Maku defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He contested for the governorship of Nasarawa State under APGA in both 2015 and 2019, but was unsuccessful in both attempts.