The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu for conferring the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second-highest national honor, on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The party called the gesture a “misplaced priority,” questioning the justification for awarding such a prestigious honor based on diplomatic relations alone.
The criticism came shortly after a high-profile meeting between President Tinubu and Prime Minister Modi in Abuja, where the Indian leader was honored during the Nigeria-India Bilateral Meeting held at the Presidential Villa.
Speaking to our correspondence on Sunday, November 18, Timothy Osadolor, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, expressed disappointment with the decision, asserting that the award was not warranted.
“It is not something you dish out for the sake of friendship,” Osadolor said.
“I don’t know what the Indian Prime Minister has done to have warranted such an honor. This is the second-highest honor in the land, and it is a misplacement of priorities.”
Osadolor suggested that the conferral of such a significant honor should be based on tangible achievements or contributions, not merely diplomatic relations.
He went on to question why President Tinubu did not take the opportunity to seek insights from Modi on India’s remarkable economic growth, especially given the contrast between India’s transformation and Nigeria’s ongoing economic struggles.
“I would have thought that the President should have asked the Indian Prime Minister how India moved from being the poverty capital of the world to becoming one of the fastest-growing economies,” Osadolor continued.
“The biggest tech moguls across the globe at the moment are all Indians. Look at Microsoft and the startups in Silicon Valley – they’re all being run by Indians. I would have thought that Tinubu would have been humble enough to ask for guidance, rather than dishing out unnecessary awards.”
During the ceremony, President Tinubu praised Modi for his leadership, highlighting the historical strength of Nigeria-India relations.
“You have been doing a good job historically. Winning three consecutive elections in a complex society is a feat that we respect so much,” Tinubu said, before bestowing the GCON award on the Indian Prime Minister.
In his remarks, Modi expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s partnership and commiserated with the country over the devastating floods that recently ravaged several cities, including Maiduguri in Borno State.
Modi also promised to send 20 tonnes of relief materials to support the flood victims. Additionally, he emphasised the potential for expanding bilateral ties in key sectors such as defense, technology, trade, health, and education.
Despite the praise from Tinubu and Modi’s diplomatic gestures, the PDP maintained that such national honors should not be awarded lightly.
The party contended that awarding such a prestigious honor without clear criteria for Modi’s accomplishments within Nigeria or Africa was inappropriate, especially when the country faces significant challenges, including economic difficulties and infrastructure gaps.
In response, Nze Chidi Duru, the Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), defended the President’s actions, arguing that conferring the GCON on Modi was not an unprecedented move. Duru suggested that the award reflected the deepening ties between Nigeria and India, and should not be viewed as controversial.
Despite differing views within the political establishment, the controversy over the GCON conferment on Modi has sparked a wider debate on the criteria for awarding national honors in Nigeria and whether such recognitions should be linked to tangible contributions to the country’s development.
As the discussion unfolds, both the PDP and APC are likely to continue exchanging views on the appropriateness of the award, with further political ramifications expected as the 2023/2024 political cycle progresses.
