Nigeria’s former chief justice (CJN), Alfa Belgore on Wednesday described as illegal, the conferment of Nigeria’s highest national honour on MKO Abiola, presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 election.
The retired judge in an interview with PT, an Online publication, said the national honours cannot be awarded posthumously, “much less the GCFR”, which is the highest honour in the land.
President Muhammadu Buhari conferred the honour on Abiola on Wednesday, announcing that Baba Gana Kingibe, Abiola’s running mate in the election, and Gani Fawehinmi, the late human rights lawyer, would be invested with a GCON respectively.
He said the commemoration and investiture would take place on June 12, 2018.
But Belgore, chairman of 2016 honours committee was quoted as saying to the publication, “It is not done… it is for people living.”
“The only thing they could do is to name a place after him, but national honours award, no.”
According to him, under the 1963 National Honours Act, only soldiers or other servicemen could be awarded posthumous medals for their bravery.
Belgore was Nigeria’s chief justice between 2006 and 2007.