By Comfort Olayinka
In a dramatic turn of events on Thursday, the South East Caucus in the Senate stormed out of the chamber following the rejection of a motion to immortalize the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
The motion, which sought to honor Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after him, was presented by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) and seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central).
The motion, which had the backing of 15 other Senators, highlighted Nwosu’s pivotal role in conducting the 1993 Presidential Election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history. Nwosu, who led the NEC at the time, is remembered for his courage in overseeing the election under the difficult political climate of the early 1990s.
However, the motion faced fierce opposition from several Senators, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), who argued that Nwosu’s failure to announce the election results due to fears for his safety disqualified him from receiving such an honor.
” 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 .
Oshiomhole’s comments, along with those of other dissenting Senators, sparked anger within the South East Caucus, leading to their walkout.
Abaribe, addressing the press after the walkout, expressed deep disappointment with the Senate’s rejection, emphasizing the historical importance of Nwosu’s contributions to Nigeria’s electoral process.
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 immortalize Professor Humphrey Mose.
“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 Mwosu 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 professor Jega a former INEC chairman said on Tuesday at the colloquium for professor Humphrey Mwosu he was surprised that up to this moment Humphrey Mwosu 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 immortalize the NEC Chairman “, he said .
“It may be delayed, but it will not be denied,” Abaribe declared, as he and other members of the South East Caucus appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to honor Nwosu’s legacy by immortalizing him.
The South East Senators, along with Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), made it clear that they would continue to push for the recognition of Professor Nwosu’s invaluable role in Nigeria’s democratic history.
