A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Alfa Belgore, has declared the award of Nigeria’s highest national honour to late Moshood Abiola as illegal.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday named Abiola, winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election that was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida, a holder of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, (GCFR), 20 years after his death in 1998.
Justice Belgore, CJN from 2006-2007, said the national honours cannot be awarded posthumously, much less the GCFR, which is the highest honour in the land.
“It is not done,” Belgore told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Wednesday night. “It is for people living.”
“The only thing they could do is to name a place after him, but national honours award, no,” he added.
Belgore, chairman of the 2016 national honours committee, also said he “was not consulted” by the Buhari administration before the decision was taken.
He said under the 1963 National Honours Act, only soldiers or other servicemen could be awarded posthumous medals for their bravery.
