The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Humphrey Nwosu

  • Still on Humphrey Nwosu and June 12

    Still on Humphrey Nwosu and June 12

    By Mike Kebonkwu

    June 12 is coming, like Easter Monday after Good Friday.  June 12 has been officially recognized and endorsed as Democracy Day.  The Senate 10th shot down the bill introduced by the ranking Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to immortalize Professor Humphrey Nwosu by refusing and rejecting to name the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after him for his role in the June 12, 1993 presidential election.  As we say in Agbor, badge of honour is only given by someone with a good sense of judgment.  The honour of garland of immortality for late Nwosu is not tied to the senate’s votes.   The immortality of Nwosu is inextricably tied or linked to the June 12, 1993 presidential election.  Professor Nwosu stands or falls according to the judgment of the people on June 12 election.

    Professor Nwosu was the chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) as it was then known.  The June 12, 1993 election which was adjudged as the freest and fairest in our political transition was annulled by the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida-led military junta.  In rejecting the bill at the senate plenary, there was almost a consensus that the political science professor did not show courage when it mattered to declare the final result of the election. June 12, 1993 election was a watershed and unique in every material particular. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Muslim-Muslim ticket of Chief MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe won the election. There was no fear or apprehension of religious tyranny or oppression; neither was religion made even a campaign issue as it has become weaponized today. A sign that the country is drifting apart and not united in spite of the pretentions of our political elite.

    We should not forget so soon also that the Babangida’s transition programme became interminable as a result of schism and self-successor plots and gambits until he drove himself into a cul-de-sac. Nigerians were determined to return to democracy and send the military back to the barracks through consistent campaigns and advocacy driven by patriots and Nigerian masses mobilized under civil society organizations. Professor Nwosu midwifed a free, fair and credible election whose final declaration was scuttled at gun point.  Voters’ education and mobilization during the election was second to none with Professor Nwosu himself demanding integrity of the process with our street lingo, “no mago mago, no wuru wuru”. 

    Read Also: Nigeria’s  lasses  win big  at IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase in Abidjan 

    The election came at last and it was truly peaceful; free, fair and credible, contrary to the expectation of even Babangida himself, who could have seized the slightest opportunity to discredit the election and therefore find justification for annulment.  Nobody gave him that chance.  When it became obvious that the SDP’s MKO Abiola was coasting to victory and leading in the ballot, the military regime sponsored some villains to scuttle the process.  Paid political jobbers like Arthur Nzeribe and his Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) with Abimbola Davis whether he existed or not, and charlatans were sponsored to procure black market court orders to stop the process.  Professor Nwosu was adamant, undeterred and went ahead with collation of the results.  He even went a step further to try to secure injunction against any attempt to arrest the conclusion of the results, but the forces against him was like a tsunami.  There is June 12 today because there was someone that gave life and impetus to it; and that person is none other than Professor Humphrey Nwosu.

    Today, we parrot June 12, 1993 election as the freest and fairest in the annals of our political transition only because we had a man at the helms of the electoral body who demonstrated uncommon courage and integrity.   If the 10th Senate did not see the action of Professor Nwosu as a display of exceptional courage in the circumstances, it follows that it is incapable of good judgment of what courage stands for.  I testify that no Nigerian, living or dead could have done any better than what Professor Nwosu did, dealing with the most vicious and capricious military junta in our national history.

    Only the deep calls to the deep, the 10th Senate could not have given what it does not have.  Nobody with impaired sense of judgment can identify a hero to be garlanded and immortalized.   Nations honour their heroes; men and women that have made exceptional impact on the lives of their people and country.  They may be great political thinkers and selfless leaders, scholars, inventors in science, medicine, arts and music; just name it.  Monuments are sometimes erected and historical places named after such people for service to the nation and display of integrity and honour.  Professor Nwosu eminently qualified for immortalization and if we recognized June 12, then the place of Nwosu’s immortality is guaranteed. If we recognised June 12, 1993 presidential election as landmark and watershed in our political history, if we agree and accept it as the freest and fairest, if we agree that MKO Abiola won the election then we should ask ourselves how these all came about without Professor Nwosu.   The election was conducted under one of the most repressive military junta led by Babangida who wanted to succeed himself.  Memory is indeed playing tricks on our political elite as June 12, 1993 election is receding into dimness of history with distortions.  

    The debate on the floor of that hallowed chambers was rather puerile, uncharitable and lacking taste.  One finds Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole take and subsequent campaign on the subject matter on national television very instructive.  Arguably, Oshiomhole is one of the few articulate and eloquent voices in the 10th Senate.  He stands out from the bunch of bench-warmers and backbenchers yes-men of the ‘ayes have it” in the Red Chambers.  To say that Professor Nwosu lacked courage when it mattered is puerile and balderdash!  You may choose to vote not to honour his memory, but Nwosu displayed gut; he didn’t bolt; he did not vote with his legs like many an activist did.  He challenged his employer when he proceeded to court to get injunction to conclude the election.  He counted and collated the votes and ballots which was the only reason Nigeria and the world got to know about the winner even when he was physically manhandled by Babangida’s goons.    

    Not long ago, the political elite rolled out the drums to celebrate none other than the same Babangida, the military Head of State who annulled the election.  The Babangida as the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief cited fear for his personal safety, claiming that his juniors and subordinates in the military threatened to kill him if he handed over to Chief Abiola.  Streets, roads and monuments are named after Babangida and a Presidential Library has been commissioned that has raked in over N17 billion at the launch of his autobiography.  And yet the man who had the gut to take on the establishment of the military-led regime and compiled that same result does not deserve honour, common! 

    At this juncture, we invite Mr President to set the record straight and make history even though the debate appears closed.  He should give this issue more than a passing glance and confer honour to whom honour is due. Let it not be turned into the sentiments of ethnic and tribal debates. That debate in the senate on Professor Humphrey Nwosu lacked taste! To those senators, I leave them with the ever green words of Major General Smedley D. Butler, a US Marine Corps officer and decorated soldier: “They are only fit to see my admiral where no sun shines”. 

    •Kebonkwu Esq, is an Abuja-based attorney.

  • Rethinking Humphrey Nwosu

    Rethinking Humphrey Nwosu

    The late NEC boss deserves national honour.

    As widely reported in the media, on March 27, 2025, the Nigerian Senate rejected the motion to honour the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, a Professor of Political Science, who was Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC) from 1989 to 1993. Professor Nwosu died on October 20, 2024, at the age of 83, and was buried on March 28, 2025.

    The motion proposed that the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be named after him in commemoration of his role as “a hero of the June 12, 1993 election.”

    However, some senators held a different view, arguing that Professor Nwosu lacked the courage to conclude the announcement of the results. It is noteworthy that on July 2, 2024, the House of Representatives passed a resolution requesting the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to immortalise Professor Nwosu whose leadership of NEC conducted the watershed election of June 12, 1993, which unfortunately was annulled by the military regime of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.). Similarly, on March 24, 2025, the current Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, a Professor of History, called for Professor Nwosu to be duly honoured. Meanwhile, June 12 has been declared as a national holiday in commemoration of that historic election, and in honour of the heroic defence, including with his life, of his victory by the winner, Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola.

    There were three key aspects of the June 12 issue. These were the pre-election, election day and post-election activities. With respect to pre-election activities, NEC, under the leadership of Professor Nwosu, took the novel decision that what was called “Option A4” was going to be adopted as the voting method on election day. This would require voters to line up in front of the pictures of their respective preferred candidates to enhance transparency and minimise, if not eliminate, voting fraud. NEC also effectively complemented political parties’ campaign efforts to enlighten the electorate and generate voters interest.

    In addition, NEC resisted frivolous attempts to stop the election, using questionable judicial means. Moreover, NEC undertook an efficient distribution of electoral materials, even to very difficult terrains.

    With respect to election day activities, the chaos that was anticipated from the untested Option A4 voting system did not materialise, and the voting took place without major incidents across the country.

    Meanwhile, the different polling agents of the two political parties which existed at the time were given copies of the election results at the polling stations at the end of the voting. So, without waiting for NEC, each of the parties could collate its results and know its relative performance in the election.

    Read Also: Nigeria can still qualify for 2026 World Cup – Chelle

    Understandably, the election was widely declared as generally free and fair by both local and foreign observers. In fact, it was judged as the freest and fairest election conducted in the country.

    With respect to post-election activities, NEC started the official collation of the authenticated results from the different states of the federation, and by June 16, 1993, only the result from Taraba State was left, and it was already in transit to the NEC national collation centre. NEC therefore projected that the collation of results would be completed and the formal announcement would be done around June 17-18, 1993.

    Meanwhile, it had become clear that Bashorun Abiola, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won the election and awaiting the Taraba State election result was just to fulfill all righteousness.

    The National Republican Convention (NRC), whose presidential candidate was Alhaji Bashir Tofa, therefore went ahead to concede victory and congratulate Abiola’s SDP.

    As Professor Nwosu further noted in an October 24, 2014 interview with Sahara Reporters, it was at this point that the Babangida administration interrupted the result collation and announcement processes, and dissolved the electoral commission on June 23, 1993. This effectively made Professor Nwosu a former chairman of a defunct commission, and deprived him of any locus to continue to announce any further results.

    In summary, Professor Nwosu led NEC to excellent performance in the pre-election and election day activities of June 12. With respect to the post-election activities, Professor Nwosu led NEC to commendable performance before matters were taken completely out of his hands by the military regime. He deployed his intellectual and administrative endowments to organise the June 12 model, world-acclaimed free and fair election. That election demonstrated our capacity as a nation to do right, irrespective of the challenges. To deny Professor Nwosu, who is by all standards a national hero, his well-deserved honour is, as such, not just an act of ingratitude to him as an individual, but amounts to abjuring the devotion to principle, innovativeness, and single-mindedness.

    We therefore appeal to the Senate leadership to facilitate the re-presentation and approval of the motion to honour Professor Humphrey Nwosu duly.

  • In defence of Humphrey Nwosu: Correcting Oshiomhole’s misconception

    In defence of Humphrey Nwosu: Correcting Oshiomhole’s misconception

    Within the pantheon of Nigeria’s experiment with democracy and it’s ideals, few names stand as tall as Professor Humphrey Nwosu’s. Yet, recent comments by former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole now a Senator  diminishing Nwosu’s contributions to Nigeria’s democratic evolution represent not just historical revisionism but a dangerous attempt to rewrite and perhaps reduce the sacrifices made during one of Nigeria’s most turbulent political periods.

    It much surprises me, that a “Stand Well Well” comrade like Senator Oshiomole, one who had a series of standoffs against civilian dictators seems not to understand the magnitude of Professor Nwosu’s actions during the June 12, 1993 elections. To do so,  one must first understand the context. The Ibrahim Babangida military regime was not merely authoritarian; it was sophisticated in its brutality. This was an administration that had perfected the art of silencing opposition through the most extreme measures. Critics were dispatched mysteriously, vocal journalists were imprisoned or worse, and the state security apparatus had been transformed into a terrifying instrument of repression.

    It was in this climate of fear that Professor Nwosu, as Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), took a stand that could easily have cost him his life. When it became clear that Chief M.K.O. Abiola was winning the presidential election by a landslide, Nwosu attempted to release the results despite immense pressure from the military junta. This was not a small act of defiance; it was an extraordinary display of courage that put him directly in the crosshairs of a regime known for its ruthlessness.

    As Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president, once famously remarked, “Only a madman would challenge a man with a gun.” By this measure, Professor Nwosu’s defiance was either an act of madness or exceptional bravery. History has vindicated him, confirming it was the latter.

    The consequences of Nwosu’s stand were swift and severe. He was removed from office and placed under surveillance by that administration and the other two that succeeded it. His family faced harassment, and his safety was constantly under threat. Yet, even under these circumstances, he refused to recant or disown the election results. Decades later, the trauma of those days remains evident in his recounting of events – the fear, the isolation, and the very real understanding that his life hung in the balance.

    The military regime knew that silencing Nwosu was not enough; they needed to erase any evidence of their unfairness. But Nwosu had anticipated this. Prior to his removal, he had ensured that results from polling stations across the country were documented and preserved. This foresight meant that even before the infamous annulment speech by President Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda, Nigerians already knew that Abiola was the eventual winner.

    Read Also: RCCG Governing Council will hold meetings on the Moon – Adeboye

    Beyond. June 12 as an event, that is if we are forced to accept Senator Oshiomole’s flawed premise which is that Nwosu’s stand during the June 12 crisis was not extraordinary – a premise that is historically inaccurate – there remains the undeniable fact that under Nwosu’s leadership, Nigeria conducted what is widely acknowledged as the freest and fairest election in its entire history as an independent nation.

    The Option A4 voting system introduced by Nwosu revolutionized Nigeria’s electoral process. The system introduced a transparency that significantly reduced the possibility of electoral manipulation. This innovation alone represents a monumental contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development.

    Furthermore, Nwosu’s insistence on announcing results at polling stations before they were collated at higher levels created multiple verification points that made wholesale rigging much more difficult. Many of these reforms continue to influence Nigeria’s electoral system today, a testament to their effectiveness and Nwosu’s foresight.

    Senator Oshiomole again forgets that an event as historic as June 12, may not have occurred had Nwosu not insisted on that faithful day of June 11th before stern looking generals and an Attorney General (Clement Akpambo) who was stoutly against Abiola’s emergence, that the June 12 elections be allowed to go on. Historical records note that it was Nwosu’s strong arguments before the National Defence and Security Council NDSC that forced the hand of the junta to allow for the conduct of the elections.

    Nigerians must recall that at this point in the life of the Babaginda administration, IBB was at his “maradonic” best, having shifted the handover dates and the return to democracy on four occasions 90,91,92 and then 93, now while the nation was already fatigued with his democratic game of chairs, how can we know that a shift in the election date would not have affected an Abiola win, or a constitutional impasse of sorts or even another cancellation, ban and unbanning witnessed in the last exercise before the process that produced Abiola and Tofa, his rival.

    Given these contributions, the Nigerian Senate’s treatment of Professor Nwosu during a recent hearing was not just disrespectful but a disservice to Nigeria’s democratic history. For a man who risked everything to protect the sanctity of the ballot, the dismissive attitude displayed by some senators, including Oshiomole, was unbecoming of the institution.

    The Senate, which owes its very existence to the democratic transition that Nwosu’s actions helped facilitate, should have accorded him the respect befitting a national hero. Instead, he was subjected to questioning that seemed designed to minimize his contributions and cast doubt on his integrity.

    What makes Nwosu’s story particularly remarkable is that he was not a politician seeking popularity or power. He was a civil servant, an academic thrust into a position where his commitment to institutional integrity was tested in the most extreme circumstances. When faced with a choice between personal safety and upholding the democratic will of Nigerians, he chose the latter.

    In a country where institutional weakness remains a significant challenge, Nwosu’s example is particularly relevant. He demonstrated that institutions are ultimately only as strong as the individuals who lead them. His refusal to compromise on electoral integrity, even when faced with threats to his life, serves as a powerful reminder of what true institutional leadership looks like.

    If Oshiomole and others fail to see the extraordinary nature of Nwosu’s actions during the June 12 crisis, they should at least acknowledge his contributions to electoral reform in Nigeria. The improvements he introduced to Nigeria’s electoral system, many of which remain relevant today, deserve recognition and appreciation.

    Moreover, in an era where Nigeria continues to struggle with conducting credible elections, Nwosu’s expertise and experience should be valued rather than dismissed. His insights into electoral management, gained through practical experience in one of Nigeria’s most challenging periods, could prove invaluable to current efforts to strengthen the country’s democratic processes.

    Adams Oshiomole’s attempt to diminish Professor Humphrey Nwosu’s contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey is not just factually incorrect but morally misguided. Nwosu’s courage in the face of a brutal military regime, his innovations in electoral management, and his unwavering commitment to institutional integrity make him a towering figure in Nigeria’s democratic history.

    The true measure of Nwosu’s contribution is not just in what he did but in what he risked. In standing up for democracy, he put everything on the line – his career, his freedom, and potentially his life. Such sacrifices deserve not just acknowledgment but profound gratitude from all who benefit from Nigeria’s democratic system today.

    As Nigeria continues its democratic journey, it would do well to remember and honor heroes like Professor Humphrey Nwosu – individuals whose courage and integrity helped pave the way for the democracy the country enjoys today. Anything less would be a disservice not just to Nwosu but to Nigeria’s collective memory and democratic aspirations.

  • Nwosu stirs the Senate

    Nwosu stirs the Senate

    The complex contradictions, over the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election stirred the senate the past week as the burial of the late chairman of the National Electoral Commission, (NEC), Professor Humphrey Nwosu, approached. Nwosu, a distinguished professor of political science, died in October 2024, and was buried last weekend. The controversy was whether he was hero or a villain, and emotions stirred a commotion in the senate, after Nwosu’s kinsmen demanded for a national honour for the departed soul. Leading the charge was Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South.

    The June 12 election, referred by many as the most transparent election in the history of Nigeria, was supervised by Professor Nwosu and it is a paradox why those who agree with that postulation would deny that the person who conducted the election does not qualify as a hero. Of course, the major underlying tragedy is that the announcement of the election result was stopped mid-way after the military rulers set in motion a series of actions that culminated in the illegal annulment of the presidential election.

    The events of the June 1993, a little over 30 years ago, and the actions of the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babaginda, leading to it, are within the living memory of majority of the senators serving in the 10th senate. Who did what, is known to them. Amongst the well-celebrated villains were the Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), led by the late Arthur Nzeribe, Abimbola Davies and Brigadier Haliru Akilu. Their mission was to abort the democratic process and install Babangida as a civilian president.

    On the judicial bench, were Justices Bassey Ikpeme and Dahiru Saleh, who gave judgments that gave some form of judicial imprimatur to the annulment of the election. Justice Ikpeme gave the infamous mid-night injunctive relief to the members of the ABN, ordering that the election should not hold, while adumbrating that the NEC can ignore his orders. When the order was ignored and the elections held, Justice Saleh declared the election a nullity, on the ground that the order of Justice Ikpeme was disobeyed.

    In between the concocted judgments of the courts, the military regime of Babagida was breathing down the neck of NEC, and but for the dire warnings of the United States of America, and more subtly that of Britain, the regime was prepared to truncate the transition programme before the election on June 12. It was in-between the threats, injunctions from the courts, subterfuge from those who created the NEC and appointed its officials that the best election in Nigeria, by many accounts, held.

    Read Also: Makinde, Ladoja inspect Ibadan circular road project

    Indeed, it was on the night of June 10 that Justice Ikpeme, delivered the ruling granting an injunction against the election, and it was in the evening of June 11, that NEC announced that the election must hold. Many Nigerians may have legitimately believed that the election had been truncated by the same regime that had banned, unbanned and re-banned politicians, without a wimp from those directly affected and the rest of Nigerians, including those pontificating as heroes in the chambers of the senate.

    Interestingly, few weeks ago, the chief culprit of the annulment, Babangida, tried to whitewash his responsibility for the annulment of the election, and the senate of the National Assembly did not rise up to condemn what clearly amounted to a historical revisionism. Some of them, may have even attended that event, and would gleefully have shaken the hands of Babangida despite the fact that he bears primary responsibility for the June 12 election, annulment.

    Until the courageous intervention of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who recognized June 12, as Democracy Day and awarded the winner, Chief Moshood Abiola, the highest national honour reserved mainly for the heads of state, many of the senators passing off as June 12 sympathizers, would have peed on the grave of the winner if it ever came up in a discussion in the senate. After all, one of their own, David Mark, who rose to become the president of senate from 2007 to 2015, was reputed to be arch-opponent of the June 12 election and yet he has the second highest national honour ascribed to his name.

    On a fair assessment, it was miraculous that the June 12 election, despite the roadblocks, put on its way by the military regime of Babangida, and the courts, subpoenaed to do the biddings of its surrogates, turned out to be the best presidential election by several accounts. Considering the game plan of the military administrators to truncate the election even on the eve of the election, it is most likely that the military junta had hoped that the elections would be marred by logistical nightmare.

    If by June 10, an order of court said the election should not hold, those who never wanted the election in the first place may have hoped that the electoral commission would by itself demand a postponement, which would have played into their hands. Again, if those who refused to acknowledge the sheer courage and determination of Prof Nwosu in the senate last week are themselves sincere, they would acknowledge that it required a lot of dexterity and courage to continue to plan and eventually execute the best organized presidential election in the midst of destabilization plots by those who appointed the officials.

    One of the opposing senators on the floor of the senate last week said that he lost a relation, following the annulment, and by his jejune account, the late NEC chairman should be held responsible for that sad incident. That argument sounded so pedestrian. But for deep rooted prejudices, this writer wonders how an electoral officer would be expected to subjugate a military regime, to his whims and caprices, without grave consequences – a military regime, which the courts have recognized to have extra constitutional powers, legitimately.

    Without doubt, the sad events of the June 12 presidential election cannot legitimately be laid at the feet of Professor Humphrey Nwosu and his colleagues. To do so, is to turn logic on its head. But, whether those in the senate wish to support a motion that he should be honoured is their prerogative. As should be clear to the senators, there are those who would refuse to accept any honour from the senators, perhaps on the premise that they are not distinguished enough.              

    As a matter of fact, the entire senators have only one motion which cannot immortalize Professor Nwosu to muster. The power to honour the departed Prof Nwosu, by naming a national monument after him really lies with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Why the southeast senate caucus chose such an issue to stake a walkout in the senate is bemusing. If they want Professor Humphrey Nwosu to be granted a national honour, the lobbying is done behind the scene.

  • Senate’s failure to immortalize Humphrey Nwosu, disservice to democracy

    Senate’s failure to immortalize Humphrey Nwosu, disservice to democracy

    SIR: The Senate of recently voted against a motion to immortalize Prof. Humphrey Nwosu by naming the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, after him. This decision has sparked outrage, particularly among Southeast senators, who were within their rights to push for the recognition of their son and a hero of Nigeria’s democratic journey. The rejection of this motion is not just a failure to honour a man who played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s electoral history, it is a glaring disservice to democracy itself.

    Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, as chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) from 1989 to 1993, oversaw the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election. Widely regarded as the freest and fairest election in our nation’s history, it was an election that should have ushered in Chief MKO Abiola as president-elect. However, the military regime led by General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) annulled the election, plunging the nation into political turmoil. IBB annulled the elections, not Nwosu. Critics of Nwosu have demonized him for failing to announce the election results, but this criticism ignores the harsh realities of operating under a bloodthirsty military regime.

    In 1993, Nigeria was under the iron grip of a military government. Opposing the orders, instructions, and decrees of the military came with severe consequences, often the ultimate price. The fate of Dele Giwa, a journalist assassinated via a letter bomb, serves as a chilling reminder of the lengths to which the military would go to silence dissent. Prof. Nwosu, a family man, faced the impossible choice between defying the military and risking his life or adhering to their directives to protect his family and himself. Considering IBB’s history, including the execution of his best friend Mamman Vatsa, it is naive to think that Nwosu would have been spared had he defied orders.

    The Senate’s rejection of the motion to honour Nwosu is steeped in hypocrisy. This is the same Senate that has failed to stamp its authority when it matters most, yet it expects Nwosu to have defied a military regime notorious for its brutality. Comparatively, these senators have often acted as rubber stamps for presidential directives, lacking the courage to challenge executive overreach. Their criticism of Nwosu for not announcing the election results is both unfair and ironic.

    Some senators were seen praising IBB at his recent book launch, displaying their sycophantic teeth to a man whose regime annulled the June 12 election. This raises questions about their commitment to justice and democracy. If they cannot dare to challenge a civilian president, how can they expect Nwosu to have stood up to a military dictator?

    Read Also: Wike: I was not keen to be Atiku’s running mate

    The Southeast senators were right to push for the immortalization of Prof. Nwosu. He laid the foundation for Nigeria’s electoral integrity, introducing innovations like the Option A4 voting system and the open ballot process. These contributions deserve recognition, not condemnation.

    If the Senate cannot honour Nwosu, then every state in the Southeast should take it upon themselves to immortalize their son. Build monuments, name streets, and establish scholarships in his name. Push his narrative and celebrate his legacy. The Southeast must rise to the occasion and ensure that their son’s legacy is preserved for generations to come.

    • Imam, Yusuf John.  Abuja.
  • S’East senators protest rejection of motion to honour Nwosu

    S’East senators protest rejection of motion to honour Nwosu

    A motion which sought to name the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu collapsed yesterday at the Senate.

    Prof. Nwosu was chairman of National Electoral Commission (NEC), the precursor to INEC.

    He conducted the 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief Moshood Abiola, but which was annulled by the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

    The motion titled: “Motion to Immortalise Prof. Humphrey Nwosu” was sponsored by Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (APGA-Abia South) during plenary.

    Abaribe, in his lead debate, said the motion was supported by all senators from the Southeast, as well as the Senate Minority Leader,  Abba Moro, Senator Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta North) and Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi Central) among others.

    Read Also: FULL LIST: Locations of Lagos speed limit monitors to avoid N50,000 fine

    He urged the Senate to immortalise the late Nwosu by naming the INEC headquarters building after him and to posthumously honour him with a national award.

    He called on the Senate to extend  official condolences to his family in recognition of their sacrifice in supporting his work for a better Nigeria.

    “Mr President, I propose that we observe a minute of silence in honour of Prof. Nwosu, given that his burial is tomorrow (today)”.

    Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, put the prayers to a voice vote but was greeted with a resounding ‘Nay’.

    The only prayer that was observed was a minute silence for the deceased Nwosu.

    Before the voice vote, Abaribe said: “His unwavering commitment to electoral integrity played a key role in establishing June 12 as Nigeria’s official Democracy Day.

    “Additionally, we note that Nwosu laid a strong foundation for the present-day Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “Sadly, he passed away on Oct. 20, 2024, at the age of 83 and will be buried tomorrow (today) in his hometown in Anambra”.

     Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC-Edo North) said: “The election that was conducted on June 12, 1993, Nigerians were really in pain because nobody was able to quote where Prof. Nwosu announced the results.

    “We cannot distort history in this unit. We must be seen to have sentiments that reflect the  feeling of an average Nigerian.

    “Prof. Nwosu, when it mattered most, his courage failed him”.

    Senators. Osita Izunaso (APC-Imo) said: “Mr President, it is important that we will not sit here to distort history. We are legislators, and we are representing the people.

    “Get a cross section of Nigerians and ask them what they think about Prof. Nwosu, they will tell you he was a hero.”

    “So for us to sit here now and begin to distort history is not fair for our democracy”.

     Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC-Ogun) said “This is one issue I have tried as much as possible to avoid.

    “Mr President, many of my colleagues have pulled up here and said he conducted the freest and fairest election.

    “There are three different meanings and three different expectations that we should look at…

    “Conducting elections, releasing results and announcing results. Yes, he conducted the election; yes, Prof. Nwosu released the result. But you and I know, releasing results is not the same thing as announcing results.

    “He failed at the critical moment when he was supposed to save this democracy”.

     Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, hailed his colleagues in the manner the debate was conducted

    “You did very well. You martialed out your points. You said your views. And no rancour at all. And this is how debate should be in an August institution like the Senate.

    “I subscribe to all these. I have my view. But I try not to be partial. I believe in June 12,” he said.

    Southeast Caucus kicks

    After failing to get the motion passed, Sen. Abaribe said the Southeast Caucus was not happy with Senate’s rejection of the move  to immortalise the late Prof Nwosu.

    Abaribe said: “We came here (Senate Press Centre) 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 the Senate to recommend to the executive that given the fact that Prof 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 Attahiru Jega, a former INEC chairman said on Tuesday at the colloquium for Prof Humphrey Nwosu, he was surprised that up to this moment Humphrey Nwosu has not been recognised or honoured 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 honour Prof  Nwosu  by giving him a national honour 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,” Abaribe said.

    Senator Ned Nwoko joined the  Senators from Southeast  at the news conference.

     Ohanaeze Ndigbo: Senate’s action laughable

    The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide yesterday condemned the Senate’s decision to reject the  motion to recognize the late  Prof. Nwosu.

    The organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu described the Senate’s action as “laughable” and “unfortunate.”

    He said: “It is so laughable that Nigeria today talks of June 12 without the principal pilot of that process, Prof Humphrey Nwosu.

    “It is so unfortunate that the Senate could not do the needful by honouring this uncommon statesman who has paid a model high price in the history of Nigerian Democracy.”

    The organisation therefore urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to accord the late Nwosu “the honour he deserves for the sake of justice”.

  • Nwosu: demise of June 12 umpire

    Nwosu: demise of June 12 umpire

    ON June 12, 1993, Humphery Nwosu, a Professor of Political Science and former chairman of the proscribed National Electoral Commission (NEC) – the forerunner to the current Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – made history by conducting the most credible and peaceful presidential poll in the history of the country.

    When he took over from his former teacher, Prof. Eme Awa, a renowned political scientist, little did he know that he was drafted into a futile exercise. The subsequent drama showed that the transition programme was designed to fail by the military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who midwifed the process.

    After eight years of tossing Nigerians around, the dubious political experimentation hit the rocks, as planned. The free and fair election was criminally annulled by IBB, the Evil Genius, thereby throwing Nigeria into a monumental crisis.

    From 1959 to date, Nigeria has produced 12 other electoral umpires: Dr. Kofo Abayomi, Chief Eyo Esua, Chief Michael Ani, Justice Victor Ovie-Whiskey, Prof. Awa, Prof. Okon Uya, Chief Dagogo Jack, Justice Ephraim Akpata, Dr. Abel Guobadia, Chief Maurice Iwu, Prof. Attahiru Jega and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    However, Nwosu stood out for obvious reasons. None of them confronted the type of challenge and roadblocks deliberately erected on his way. Bracing the odds, he was strengthened by a staunch determination to make a name and a patriotic resolve to erect a solid foundation for an orderly democratic transfer of power from military rulers to civilian leaders.

    Why the result of the 1993 poll was cancelled was largely unknown. Only two principal actors – the former military president and the former NEC chairman – could give the real reason behind the criminal assault on democracy and the popular will of the people.

    IBB has been rambling for 31 years, struggling with conscience and a sense of guilt, an internal version of punishment that torments the soul. The truth is that there was no convincing justification for leading the people on a long journey to nowhere. However, the military ruler decided to tread the path of social perdition. It is worse that the principal culprit can never correct the mistake.

    Nwosu’s book, titled: ‘Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and Its Annulment,’ offered no clue. It never met popular expectations. Facts may have been inadvertently concealed. To some observers, it smacked of timidity, particularly the type a scholar of repute that he was should not have displayed.

    If Nwosu had spoken up, other hidden circumstances behind the annulment could have been unravelled.

    There are puzzles: was Nwosu a willing tool? To many people, such a possibility was remote, judging by the efforts he put into the work. It appeared that he was helpless because the hand of the military was heavy on the electoral commission. Was Nwosi harassed, as alleged in some quarters? Was he frightened to chicken out? Was his life under threat? Why was the final result not declared?

    Last week, the man died at 83, carrying to his grave the most vital information about the glaring controversial event that heralded the collapse of the Third Republic.

    Apart from drawing home the point that the annulment was a colossal injustice that created a legitimacy and credibility crisis for the military government, the book is essentially limiting.

    Yet, judging by the inconducive atmosphere under which he operated, Nwosu, to date, could be described as the most outstanding electoral officer: diligent, creative, innovative, courageous, hardworking, bold, and brave. He was not a pliable man for a dirty job.

    His antecedents showed that he was a man of honour and integrity. Nwosu was the Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) when the military government appointed him the NEC chairman. Six years after getting his PhD, he became a professor. He published articles and books to avoid perishing in the Ivory Towers. Nwosu was appointed a member of the 20-man Dasuki Committee on the Review of Local Government System in Nigeria. In his native Anambra State, he also served as Commissioner for Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, and later, Agriculture.

    His appointment as an umpire was consistent with IBB’s policy of drafting intellectuals to contribute to the nation’s socio-economic and political development. Thus, the likes of Prof. Wole Soyinka, Bolaji Akinyemi, Tunji Aboyade, Omo Omoruyi, Dr. Tai Solarin, Adele Jinadu, Tunde Adeniran, Tunji Olagunju, Eme Awa, Sam Oyovbaire, Pius Sada, Ikenna Nzimiro, Jerry Gana, Jubril Aminu, Jona Elaigwu, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, and Dr. Chu S. P. Okongwu, at one time or the other served in the regime.

    Nwosu’s assignment was the most tedious. As Nigerians, particularly the political class and the civil society, clamoured for military disengagement, eyes were on the electoral agency. Although he had a competent team, the military threw obstacles in his path.

     There was enough evidence to doubt the sincerity of the gap-toothed General. The handover dates were shifted twice and the transition programme became a delicate project, unduly elongated to the nation’s discomfort. Ahead of the transition scheme, Chief Obafemi Awolowo had expressed doubt about the fruitless search for a new social order, warning that when Nigerians imagined the new order was here, the nation would be disappointed. The old man was labelled as a prophet of doom in some quarters, but his foreboding came to pass.

    Nwosu was a student under Awa, who had to leave the commission after a serious disagreement with IBB. The old man might have alerted his former student to the decoy of a deceitful military president who was not ready to midwife a transparent transition programme, which Nwosu, despite the hurdles, managed to implement.

    The experiments took the polity through the Open Ballot System, Modified Open Ballot System, Option A4 for the selection of presidential candidates, formation of political associations that later ended in a fiasco, and imposition of two military-created political parties that were “a little to the left and a little to the right”, and the foggy diarchy that produced more theatrics from the military leadership than genuine interest in a seamless political engagement.

    A mutual suspicion had developed between the military and the political elite. The banning, unbanning, and banning of key actors paved the way for the moneybags called the new breed. But Jerry Gana’s MAMSER (Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery) intensified the political education and enlightenment which sustained the interest and hope of Nigerians in the process.

    Read Also: Humphrey Nwosu (1941 – 2024)

    Nwosu worked hard and succeeded in moderating the tense processes, particularly intra-party nominations of candidates for the various layers of elections by the government-imposed Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC). The House of Assembly and governorship elections were successfully conducted. Later, elections into the House of Representatives and the Senate were held.

    The governors and elected state and federal lawmakers had started functioning under the inexplicable diarchic system. While the military was democratically displaced by legitimate authorities, its top echelon developed cold feet, fearing the liquidation of self-acquired8 powers.

    To the people, Babangida’s days in Aso Villa, Abuja were numbered. The initial success of the last phase of the transition programme was underscored by the successful presidential primaries won by Moshood Abiola of SDP in Jos and Othman Bashir of NRC in Port Harcourt. The primaries validated the country’s historical antecedents and the national disposition to a two-party system.

    On June 12, 1993, Nigerians were determined to end military rule. The election was a huge festival of choice and change. Voters from across the six zones, irrespective of their ethnic and religious backgrounds, trooped out to elect candidates of their choice. There was no disruption, particularly the manipulation, irregularities, stealing and vandalisation of ballot boxes and thuggery that characterised the first and second republics’ elections. An atmosphere of peace and tranquillity pervaded Nigeria on poll day.

    As the results were transparently announced, the beat stopped abruptly, based on the “order from above”. Nwosu was summoned. The announcement was promptly discontinued. The poll results were cancelled.

     Tension engulfed the country. The military suddenly remembered that a compromised judge it instigated had given an order at midnight forbidding the poll, as demanded by Arthur Nzeribe’s Association for Better Nigeria (ABN). But they forgot that their decree stated that no court order could stop the exercise.

    On June 23, 1993, IBB annulled the poll, thereby writing his name on the wrong side of history. The annulment tarnished the image of the electoral agency. It remains a huge burden on IBB, 31 years after.

    Nigeria will always remember Nwosu for conducting the freest and fairest election in the nation’s history. Despite all the gimmicks of military leaders, who were determined to stay in power perpetually, the eminent scholar did his national assignment with candour and competence. He will not be listed among the goons who sacrificed the Third Republic for selfish gains.

  • Humphrey Nwosu (1941 – 2024)

    Humphrey Nwosu (1941 – 2024)

    •One of the best election umpires Nigeria ever had

    Certainly, the most enduring tribute to Prof. Humphrey Nwosu is that, as the then chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), he heroically conducted Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, which is acclaimed as the “freest and fairest” in the country’s political history.

    He was NEC boss from 1989 to 1993 and introduced ‘Option A4,’ an open ballot system of voting that required voters to openly queue in front of the picture of their candidate in an election. This innovation reflected his expertise as a former professor of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

    What might have happened if he had lacked the courage to disregard an anomalous court order against the holding of the poll remains a matter of speculation. President Bola Tinubu, in a posthumous tribute, notably described him as “a bold and courageous administrator as well as a patriot and national asset.” There is no doubt that he was a champion of democracy who played a significant role in momentous events which, in his words, “marked a turning point in Nigeria’s tortuous journey towards a democratic polity.” His death on October 24 highlighted the twists and turns of the country’s democratic experience. He was 83.

    In his 2008 book, ‘Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993, Presidential Election and its Annulment,’ Nwosu said the military authorities had wanted him to “postpone the election at least for one week.” He also said they accused him of conducting “a presidential election the court prohibited,” and “helped to cause… confusion.”

    Read Also: House steps down motion to reverse renaming of Niger Delta Ministry

    A group ironically known as Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) had encouraged the continuity of military rule under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who had designed a convoluted and deceptive programme to restore democracy. As the country looked forward animatedly to democratic governance after eight years under Babangida, the ABN, alleging corruption, dramatically obtained a mysterious high court injunction stopping the election two days before the event. The court order was reported to have been issued at night.

    However, Nwosu ensured that the election was held as scheduled, stating that the court lacked authority to stop it. The contest was between M.K.O. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).

    Three days after the poll, in the middle of the collation of the votes, the ABN dramatically obtained another court injunction to halt the counting and verification. The electoral body, this time, bowed to the court order in the face of intimidation by the military authorities, and suspended the announcement of the election results the following day.  By this time, it was clear Abiola had won.

    The Babangida regime subsequently annulled the election, triggering street protests, particularly in Abiola’s Southwest base, that led to the reported killing of more than 100 people by security forces. Nwosu went into exile.  The annulment of the election led to the emergence of two other military regimes before democracy was restored in 1999 and the death of Abiola in military detention.

    Nwosu was an unlikely hero, considering the circumstances that led to his appointment as NEC chairman. He hailed from Ajali community in present-day Anambra State, and had served in the government of a former military governor of old Anambra State. He was chosen to head the NEC following the resignation of his predecessor and former mentor, Prof.  Eme Awa, after a disagreement with Babangida. Indeed, he disappointed those who had thought he would be a yes-man.

    Recognising his contributions to the country’s political development, the House of Representatives, in July, urged the Federal Government to name the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after Nwosu.

    He left a legacy of innovative thinking and heroism in the pursuit of democracy. In 2018, he was reported saying, “the democratic system of governance is the best, especially for a multi-ethnic nation like ours,” adding that “expanding the frontiers of democracy will provide economic, social and developmental benefits that will certainly make Nigeria a great nation not only in Africa but across the world.”

  • Tinubu, others mourn former NEC boss Nwosu

    Tinubu, others mourn former NEC boss Nwosu

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other eminent Nigerians have mourned the demise of the former National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu.

    Humphrey died in a US hospital on October 24, at the age of 83 years.

    Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Nwosu.

    Nwosu, a renowned political scientist, led NEC from 1989 to 1993 and oversaw the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida.

     In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Ononuga, President Tinubu remembered Nwosu as a bold and courageous administrator who played a significant role in shaping Nigeria’s democracy.

     He emphasized that the greatest honor to champions of democracy like Nwosu is to ensure credible, transparent, and democratic elections.

    Read Also; FULL LIST: 22 sacked, suspended Ministers in Nigeria from 1999 – 2024

     Tinubu prayed for eternal rest for the departed political scientist and divine comfort for those who mourn him.

     “President Bola Tinubu commiserates with the family, friends and associates of Prof Humphrey Nwosu, a former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), who died in a US hospital on 24 October.

     “Prof. Nwosu was chairman of NEC from 1989 to 1993 and oversaw the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election, which General Ibrahim Babangida annulled.

     “Before the ill-fated presidential election,  Nwosu’s NEC had conducted the governorship and parliamentary election using an innovative, inexpensive  OPTION A-4, in which voters queued behind the photographs of candidates of their choice at polling stations.

     “The President holds fond memories of Nwosu as a bold and courageous administrator.

     “He expresses his deep sorrow at the loss of a patriot and national asset who played a significant role in shaping the democracy that Nigeria enjoys today.

     “The President prays to God almighty to grant the soul of the departed political scientist eternal rest and divine comfort for those who mourn him”, the statement said.

    Humphrey Nwosu, man of integrity – Ex-Imo Governor Ihedioha

    Imo former governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has also mourned the late NEC chair, Nwosu.

    Ihedioha described Nwosu as a man of integrity, honour and character.

    According to a statement signed by the former Imo governor, “The late Prof Humphrey Nwosu was a man of integrity, honour and character whose position as the chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC) was defined by patriotism, sacrifice and commitment to Nigeria’s democratic and political development.

    “At the annulment of June 12 and its attendant logjam, Nwosu remained a crusader for national integration and social justice even at the risk of his life.

    “At 83 years he died a national hero and shall be so remembered by all Nigerians of good conscience.

    “I pray God give his immediate family and loved ones the strength to bear this huge loss. May his soul rest in peace,” Ihedioha said.

    Anambra gov, Ohanaeze Ndigbo grief 

    Extolling the virtues of the late NEC boss, the Governor of Anambra State,

    Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and the Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have also mourned the passing of Prof.  Nwosu.

    Soludo expressed profound sadness and a deep sense of loss over the passing of the deceased.

    Soludo, who described Nwosu as “most illustrious Nigerian patriot,” lamented that Nigeria has lost a “true umpire of electoral integrity.”

    In his condolence message, signed by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, late on Thursday, Soludo lamented that Nigeria had lost a true umpire of electoral integrity in Prof. Nwosu, describing him as a distinguished son of Anambra State from the Ajali community in the Orumba North Local Government Area.

    In reaction to his death, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, expressed deep sorrow, lamenting that Nwosu died without receiving the recognition he deserved for his significant contributions to Nigeria’s electoral system.

    The acting National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene, who spoke on behalf of the body, pointed out that “Until his death, no one, including the Federal Government, recognised him, even though he put his life on the line to save the country’s democracy.

  • Tinubu mourns late Humphrey Nwosu

    Tinubu mourns late Humphrey Nwosu

    President Bola Tinubu commiserates with the family, friends and associates of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, a former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), who died in a U.S. hospital on Oct. 24.

    Nwosu was chairman of NEC from 1989 to 1993 and oversaw the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, which General Ibrahim Babangida annulled.

    Before the ill-fated presidential election, Nwosu’s NEC had conducted the governorship and parliamentary election.

    He used an innovative, inexpensive OPTION A-4, in which voters queued behind the photographs of candidates of their choice at polling stations.

    Read Also: Ex-NEC Chairman Humphrey Nwosu dies at 83

    “The President holds fond memories of Nwosu as a bold and courageous administrator,” Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, said in a statement.

    He said Tinubu expressed his deep sorrow at the loss of a patriot and national asset who played a significant role in shaping the democracy that Nigeria enjoys today.

    “President Tinubu affirms that the greatest honour to champions of democracy like Nwosu is to ensure that elections in the country remain credible, transparent and democratic, reflecting the people’s right to choose their leaders and shape their future.

    “The President prays to God Almighty to grant the soul of the departed political scientist eternal rest and divine comfort for those who mourn him,” said the statement.

    (NAN)