ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, June 12, 2025, conferred national honours on 66 individuals who played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s long and often painful struggle for democratic governance, with a solemn focus on heroes of the June 12, 1993, election and the broader pro-democracy movement.
The honours were announced during a joint sitting of the National Assembly in Abuja, marking this year’s Democracy Day and commemorating what is widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election, which was annulled by the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida.
Among those recognised were Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Humphrey Nwosu, and Kudirat Abiola — all posthumously honoured for their “sacrifice, courage, and unwavering belief in a democratic Nigeria.”
Former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was awarded the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Nigeria’s highest national honour.
Prior to Thursday’s announcement, only two non-presidents — Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (M.K.O.) Abiola — had received the title.
“Shehu Yar’Adua epitomised courage and unity. He died a political prisoner but lives forever as a national hero,” President Tinubu said.
Yar’Adua, a military officer turned politician, was a leading figure in Nigeria’s political transition before his arrest and death in Abakaliki Prison in 1997 under the Sani Abacha regime.
His conferment with the GCFR is seen as a symbolic acknowledgement of his central role in the country’s political awakening.
Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely believed to have been won by M.K.O. Abiola before it was nullified by the military.
“Professor Nwosu stood for truth, transparency, and a new vision of electoral integrity in Nigeria. His memory is a national treasure,” said Tinubu, recognising Nwosu’s contributions to democratic transparency.
Earlier in March, senators from Nigeria’s south-east geopolitical zone had proposed renaming the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his honour, though the motion was ultimately rejected.
Also honoured posthumously was Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late M.K.O. Abiola, with the title of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Kudirat was assassinated in Lagos in 1996 during the military crackdown on pro-democracy movements, following her outspoken demand for the validation of her husband’s electoral mandate.
“Today, we immortalise not just names, but ideals — sacrifice, courage, and unwavering belief in a democratic Nigeria,” Tinubu stated.
The full list of honourees includes civil rights advocates, journalists, academics, and politicians who resisted military authoritarianism and advanced democratic governance in Nigeria.
Notable names include playwright and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka (GCON), journalist Alex Ibru (CON), human rights lawyer Femi Falana (CON), Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (CON), environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa (CON), and political economists like Mobolaji Akinyemi (CFR) and Julius Ihonvbere (CON).
The national honours conferred span multiple ranks, including:
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GCFR: Shehu Musa Yar’Adua
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GCON: Wole Soyinka
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CFR: Kudirat Abiola, Balarabe Musa, Bola Ige, Mobolaji Akinyemi, Abu Ibrahim, Ame Ebute
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CON: Humphrey Nwosu, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Frank Kokori, Reuben Fasoranti, Femi Falana, and others
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OON: Chima Ubani, Dapo Olorunyomi, Kunle Ajibade, and several journalists and activists
Many of those honoured were imprisoned, exiled, or targeted for their roles in opposing military rule, particularly during the 1990s.
