FULL LIST: Shehu Yar’Adua gets GCFR as Tinubu confers national honours on 66 Nigerians

President Bola Tinubu has conferred national honours on individuals who played defining roles in Nigeria’s struggle for democracy.

Tinubu made the announcement on Thursday while addressing a joint sitting of the national assembly.

Among the most prominent were Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Humphrey Nwosu, and Kudirat Abiola, posthumously recognised for their critical roles in the June 12 struggle and broader democratic movements.

Yar’Adua was honoured with the title of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

Until now, only two non-presidents — Obafemi Awolowo and Chief M.K.O. Abiola — had received Nigeria’s highest national honour.

“Shehu Yar’Adua epitomised courage and unity. He died a political prisoner but lives forever as a national hero,” Tinubu said.

Yar’Adua, a former chief of staff, Supreme Headquarters, was a key figure in Nigeria’s political reawakening before his incarceration and death in Abakaliki Prison in 1997.

With the posthumous conferment of GCFR Yar’Adua, Tinubu has etched his name alongside a sacred few whose legacies transcend political ambition to define national purpose.

Tinubu also honoured Nwosu, who served as chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), with the title of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

“Professor Nwosu stood for truth, transparency, and a new vision of electoral integrity in Nigeria. His memory is a national treasure,” Tinubu said.

The posthumous national honour conferred on Nwosu by the president followed recent moves by lawmakers, particularly senators from the south-east geopolitical zone, to immortalise the former electoral commission chairman.

In March, the senators had called on the federal government to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja after Nwosu as a tribute to his democratic legacy. The motion was, however, rejected.

The president conferred the national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Kudirat Abiola, the wife of the late Moshood Abiola.

Kudirat was assassinated in 1996 for her vocal activism demanding the validation of the June 12 mandate.

“Today, we immortalise not just names, but ideals — sacrifice, courage, and unwavering belief in a democratic Nigeria,” Tinubu said.

See the full list of 66 honourees below.