1 week Ago By Taiye Odewale
The Senate penultimate Thursday after two attempts within 24 hours by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) and others, to get late Professor Humphrey Nwosu immortalised, rejected the proposal. TAIYE ODEWALE reports Who was Professor Humphrey Nwosu? Professor Humphrey Nwosu was the National Chairman of National Electoral Commission (NEC), known as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today, that conducted the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the history of the country and believed to have been won by the late Business Mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. Professor Nwosu now late, was apointed as NEC National Chairman by the then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) in 1989 after resignation of his immediate predecessor, Professor Eme Awa.
NEC under Professor Nwosu, between 1990 and June 1993, conducted series of elections from Chairmanship and Councilorship elective positions at the Local Government Councils to Governorship and State House of Assembly members elections across the then 30 states, up to federal legislative seats at both the Senate and the House of Representatives, to the June 12, 1993 Presidential election between the late Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), all through the option A4 model of open physical voting by queuing up behind posters or portraits of candidates. The option A4 model adopted by Professor Humphrey Nwosu led NEC, gave electoral results that were not litigated against at the local government councils, the then 30 States of the federation and at the National Assembly level, even up to the June 12, 1993 Presidential election results of which were however not allowed to be officially announced completely on Wednesday, June 16, 1993 and eventually annulled, a week after, precisely on Wednesday, June 23, 1993. Motion on Immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu Though a few years ago before his death in October last year, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, published a book where the full results of the June 12, 1993 presidential election were documented state by state but he never at any fora declared that the late Chief MKO Abiola won the election as former Military President Ibrahim Babangida did during the launching of his autobiography entitled: “A Journey in Service” in February this year.
However, being the Chief Electoral Umpire of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and 15 other Senators, felt that Professor Nwosu deserved to be rewarded through immortalisation, by naming the INEC National Headquarters after him. Abaribe on behalf of other co – sponsors of a motion to that effect on Wednesday, 26th March, 2025, rose through orders 41 and 51 of the Senate’s standing rules, to highlight Nwosu’s contributions by noting. that his leadership in the electoral process led to the declaration of the late Chief MKO Abiola as the presumed winner and the eventual recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day.
He posited that the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu served as NEC chairman from 1989 to 1993 and courageously defended the electoral process during the 1993 presidential election. Failure at the first attempt However, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), objected to the motion, pointing out that copies had not been distributed to lawmakers as required by Senate rules.
Consequently, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, put the motion to a voice vote, and got rejected by majority of senators who shouted nay! Apparently not satisfied with the decision of the Senate, Abaribe represented the motion through order 42 under personal explanation, but prevented from having a head way by both the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele who interjected by maintaining that Senate procedures must be followed on re – presentation of the motion, saying “motion earlier rejected in a session, cannot be re – presented in the same session but in another session through substantive motion”. The Second and rejected attempt In line with submission made by the Senate Leader, the Deputy President of the Senate, ruled that Senator Abaribe should come up with his motion the following day, which he did with convincing arguments, supported by co – sponsors like Senators Tony Nwoye (Anambra South), Patrick Ndubueze (Imo North), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), Osita Izunaso (Imo West), Francis Ezenwa (Imo East), Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), Austin Akobundu (Abia Central) etc. Specifically, Abaribe in the re – presented motion, said, “Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalized like other heroes of the June 12, 1993 presidential Election by naming the Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) in Abuja after him, having laid the foundation in 1992.
“The late Humphrey Nwosu should also be given a post – humous national honours like other June 12 heroes and a minute silence observed in his memory by the Senate”. Rejection of the motion But Abaribe’s request, seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalisation. Specifically, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage. “He who is not ready to die for something, will die for nothing. “If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993, he cannot be rewarded now, more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created”, he said.
Many other Senators like Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South), Olamilekan Adeola (Ogun West), Titus Zam (Benue North West), Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North ), Shuaib Afolabi (Ogun Central), Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) etc, vehemently kicked against the motion and shouted nay, when put to voice vote by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session. Re – directing the request to President Tinubu Immediately after rejection of the motion by the Senate, in a spontaneous show of anger, members of the South East Caucus in the Senate led by Senator Abaribe stormed out of the chamber to address the press. Abaribe at the emergency press briefing, told journalists, that the South East Caucus was not happy with Senate’s rejection of the move to immortalise late Professor Nwosu.
He said: “We came here just to make a brief statement after the vote that was taken on the floor with regard to our motion to immortalise Professor Humphrey Nwosu. “We had three prayers. The first prayer, which was for them, for the Senate to recommend to the executive that given the fact that professor Humphrey Nwosu was the person who actually laid the foundation of the present INEC headquarters and commenced the building before that particular NEC was dissolved by the military in 1993.
We felt that we should recommend that the executive names that INEC building after him. “This is also in consonance with what Prof Jega, a former INEC chairman said on Tuesday at the colloquium for professor Humphrey Nwosu he was surprised that up to this moment Humphrey Nwosu has not been recognized or honored by the government of Nigeria who today are benefiting from his plans and the legacy of conducting the freest and fairest election in the country. “We also had another prayer that even if they don’t do that, that they should also honor Professor Nwosu by giving him a national honor which was also rejected.
“But we are not deterred. The reason is simple. It may be delayed, but it will not be denied.
“We seize this opportunity to specifically appeal to President Bola Tinubu to immortalise the NEC Chairman”, he said. Ray of hope from President Tinubu Twenty four hours after the South East Caucus in the Senate, re – directed its request for immortalisation of Professor Nwosu, to President Bola Tinubu ,ray of hope on it, came from the President in his remarks at the burial of the late Professor. President Tinubu who was represented by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, said “Professor Nwosu’s contributions to the evolution of democratic governance in Nigeria and his shared electoral experiences will continue to inspire our commitment to Nigeria’s democratic governance.
” The remark to many Nigerians, indicates possible immortalisation of the late Professor by the Presidency, actualisation of which is in the womb of time..
