The Federal Government has been urged to acknowledge and honour the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, the man behind the credibility of the annulled June 12, 1993, election.
Retired Archbishop of Enugu Province (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, made the call yesterday in Enugu while also demanding that former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), be prosecuted for the injustices he confessed to committing against Nigeria.
Nwosu, who chaired the then National Electoral Commission (NEC) and conducted the historic June 12 election annulled by Babangida, passed away on October 24, 2024, without receiving any national recognition for his patriotic service. He is set to be buried on March 28.
Reacting to Babangida’s confession at his recent book launch, Archbishop Chukwuma condemned the silence of the government and Nigerians on Nwosu, who he said played a key role in the election that is now celebrated as Democracy Day.
“Now, Humphrey Nwosu is dead, and it has been acknowledged that he conducted Nigeria’s most credible election, yet no national honour was given to him. Kingibe was honoured, Abiola was honoured, but the man who conducted the election was ignored. Nigeria has been unfair to Humphrey Nwosu,” Chukwuma stated.
He called for a posthumous national award for Nwosu and urged the government to name a monument in his honour. He also insisted that the federal government must play a role in his burial.
On Babangida’s confession, Chukwuma dismissed it as insulting and unacceptable, saying:
“All that Babangida said in his book, regretting or confessing that MKO Abiola won the June 12 election, is absolute rubbish! It is a great disappointment and an insult to Nigerians.
“If I had my way, IBB should be jailed for making such a statement after taking the entire country for a ride.”
He further criticized Babangida’s claim that annulling the election was for Nigeria’s good, calling it a blatant lie.
His words: “Nigerians are suffering today because of bad leadership, and we still cannot conduct a credible election. Babangida’s confession comes too late—after the deaths of Abiola and Nwosu. He must apologize to their families and to the Nigerian people.”
The Archbishop urged President Bola Tinubu’s government to recognize Nwosu’s contributions to democracy, warning that failure to do so would show that the current administration is also complicit in undermining credible elections.