A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sunusi Musa, has raised concerns  over the criteria used  in awarding  national honours to some Nigerians, citing the exclusion of some individuals who were involved in the pro-democracy struggle following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

Musa on his verified Facebook page argued that the list was incomplete with certain actors conspicuously missing from the list.

“The awardees of the National Honours today are those who sustained the struggle for the June 12 election. I have seen the names of Gen Yar’adua and Gambo Sawaba in it. By whatever criteria, if Yar’adua and Sawaba are qualified for the award based on June 12 struggle, then Abubakar Rimi, Sule Lamido, Tony Anenih, Col Dangiwa Umar and Atiku Abubakar are equally qualified,” wrote Sunusi.

Daily Trust reports that President Tinubu had conferred national honours on some Nigerians, both living and deceased for their roles in the fight for democracy, public service and civic responsibility.

The lawyer argued that prominent figures such as the late Abubakar Rimi, former Governor Sule Lamido, Tony Anenih, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also played important roles and should have been recognized.

“If Yar’adua and Sawaba are recognized for their role in the June 12 struggle, then the exclusion of others like Rimi, Lamido, and Atiku raises questions about the consistency and fairness of the criteria,” he added.