Nigerian singer, Teni snubs Buhari after receiving National Award

Mixed reactions have trailed Nigeria’s popular afro beat singer, Teni Apata, for neither shaking nor greeting President Muhammadu Buhari while receiving a national award.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday conferred the National Honours Award on 447 persons at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

According to the National Honours Award Investiture 2022 Programme, 450 recipients were awarded, making the total number of Nigeria’s national honours awardees 5,341 since 1963.

Of the 450 recipients, six were awarded Grand Commanders of the Order of the Niger (GCON), 55 Commanders of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), 74 Members of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), 77 Officers of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).Others are 110 Officers of the Order of the Niger (OON), 55 Members of the Order of the Niger (MON), 65 Commanders of the Order of the Niger (CON), Four Federal Republic Medal- First Class (FRM I) and Four Federal Republic Medal- Second Class FRM II.

During the award ceremony, Teni was seen to be the only recipient who failed to greet or shake the President when collecting her award.

Her action generated a lot of controversies among Nigerians who either viewed Teni’s conduct as a total disrespect to the office of the presidency or as commendable to the spirit of activism.