Osamagbe Imadiyi
A motion to honour the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, the former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the umpire of the canceled June 12 presidential election, was rejected by the Senate on Thursday. This follows the South-East Caucus’s insistence that their prayers for Prof. Humphrey Nwosu’s immortalization cannot be denied, only postponed. After the motion was rejected, the caucus, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, told the Senate Press Corps that Humphrey Nwosu was responsible for laying the groundwork for the democracy that the nation currently enjoys.
There is a straightforward explanation. Although it might be postponed, it will not be rejected. The foundations that we are all enjoying today were laid by Prof. Humphrey Nwosu. Therefore, we believe that even if this government does not honor Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, another government will in the future. Ultimately, a government eventually acknowledged Abiola after some other governments declined to do so. June 12 was later recognized as our democracy day by a government that had previously refused to recognize it. Therefore, we think that the government of this nation will make sure to honor those who have truly given their all and sacrificed to improve Nigeria in the future,” he said.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe is the sponsor of the motion, which calls for Prof. Nwosu to be honored nationally posthumously and for the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Abuja headquarters to be renamed in his honour. Senators in plenary, led by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, criticized the motion, claiming the late NEC chairman lacked the courage to declare the outcome. Senator Osita Ngwu defended Nwosu, saying that he was forced to stop the announcement of election results because he was acting under military restrictions.
Seconding the motion, Senator Victor Umeh stated that Prof. Humphrey Nwosu was not your typical Nigerian. Although June 12 has come to represent democracy, he clarified that Prof. Nwosu did not formally declare the election’s outcome.
