Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has condemned the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on businessman Gilbert Chagoury, describing it as a dark moment for Nigeria.

In a statement to DAILY POST, Frank told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that awarding Chagoury the nation’s second-highest honor sends a troubling signal that corruption and conflicts of interest are being normalized at the highest levels of government.

The controversy comes amid congratulatory messages from notable business figures, including billionaire Femi Otedola.

Frank noted that the GCON award undermines public trust and Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, citing widely reported allegations and judicial findings linking Chagoury to money-laundering cases involving funds looted during the late General Sani Abacha regime.

“Today ranks among the saddest days of my life as a Nigerian,” Frank said, recalling reports that a Swiss court convicted Chagoury in 2000 in connection with laundering Abacha loot. He reportedly paid a fine of one million Swiss francs and returned approximately $66 million to the Nigerian government.

“To bestow one of our highest national honors on a person publicly tainted by allegations and judicial findings of corruption sends a deeply troubling message about our national values,” Frank added.

He warned that Nigeria should not become a place where corruption is rewarded, conflicts of interest are ignored, and foreign influence is leveraged against national economic interests.

Frank also questioned the criteria used to confer the GCON on Chagoury, urging Nigerians to demand clarity on his contributions to national development.

“What hospitals, schools, or scholarships has he built or funded to merit this honor?” Frank asked.

“Beyond his name being linked for years to alleged corruption cases without clear conclusions, Nigerians deserve to know what qualifies him for this award and who among our business leaders has been similarly honored,” he concluded.