Senate South East caucus urges Tinubu to immortalise Humphrey Nwosu

By Haruna Salami

South East Senate Caucus has urged President Bola Tinubu to immortalise Professor Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) who passed on recently.

The call became necessary after the motion moved by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) failed to sail through at the Senate plenary on Thursday.

The motion, which divided the Senate along primordial lines had some senators strongly in support and saw Nwosu as a hero while other vehemently opposed to the motion said Nwosu failed to display courage at the most crucial moment to announce the results, declare winner and damned the consequences.

Senators Adams Oshiomhole, Jimoh Ibrahim, Titus Zam, Solomon Olamilekan, Sunday Karimi, etc were of the view that tried as Nwosu did, he didn’t deliver the desired result to deserve national honour.

However, senators Francis Fadahunsi, Tony Nwoye, Sampson Ekong, Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Alwell Onyesoh were of the view that Nwosu was a hero because he did his best in the circumstance he operated.

Abaribe, while addressing journalists 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 Nwosu”.

His motion, which was co-sponsored by all the senators from the South East and a few others outside the region had three prayers. The first prayer which was for the Senate to recommend to the executive, that given the fact, that Professor Humphrey was the person who actually laid the foundation of the present INEC headquarters and commenced the building before that particular INEC was dissolved by the military in 1993, they felt that they should recommend that the executive names that INEC building after him.

The South East caucus chairman said this is also in consonance with what Professor Jega, a former INEC chairman said on Tuesday at the colloquium for Professor Humphrey, that he (Jega) 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 legacies in producing in 1993 the freest and fairest election.

“Don’t forget that it was the outcome of the annulment of that election that led to the disturbances everywhere in Nigeria that also led to the exit of the military in 1999, six years later.

The caucus also had another prayer that even if they don’t name the INEC headquarters after Nwosu, that they should also honour the Professor by giving him a national honour, posthumously. That was also rejected on the floor.

The third one, which of course was for him to be honoured by the senate by observing a one minute silence in his honour was done.

The caucus which said “the truth of the matter is that the Senate resolution is advisory, it’s not even compelling” urged President Tinubu “to do the right thing by immortalizing Professor Humphrey Nwosu”.

They believed that Tinubu who was an advocate of June 12, as the current president will do the needful by immortalising Prof. Humphrey Nwosu.

However, the caucus is not deterred for the simple reason that it may be delayed, but it will not be denied. “Professor Humphrey Nwosu was the person who laid the foundations that we are all enjoying today. So, as far as we are concerned, we think that even if this government does not honour Professor, a government in future will honour him. After all, some other governments refused to recognize Abiola, but later a government recognized Abiola. Some other governments didn’t recognize June 12th but later a government recognized June 12th as our democracy day.

“So, we believe that in the future a government of this country will make sure that they recognize those who have actually sacrificed and used their everything to make Nigeria a better place”.

If as we said for those who continue to stand on June 12th and those who sat on June 12th and those who did everything on June 12th including the government of today, if there was no election there won’t have been any June 12.

Don’t forget that there was a court order that was granted by Justice Bassey Ikpeme to stop the election and he defied that court order and push back and made sure that an election was held. If that election was not conducted, you won’t be talking of results and there will be no June 12th, we’ll not be talking about results. That’s what I’m saying.

“So, as far as we are concerned, Professor Nwosu deserves this honour. He is our hero.

“Professor Humphrey Nwosu’s audaciously, without invitation, went to the National Defense and Security Council and insisted and convinced them that the election process had commenced. That was why President Babangida allowed him to conduct the election.

“If anybody is saying that he did not announce the result, the person is lying because the results were being announced. In fact, they have announced 29. It was remaining only Taraba State. And even when they ordered him to come to the Aso Rock, I want to tell you, he was even arrested. But he still ordered that that Taraba be announced.

“So, at what point will Humphrey Nwosu have announced that result? Is it in the Aso Rock, where they detained him? We must be serious”.

Prof. Humphrey Nwosu who passed on last October will be laid to rest in Anambra, his home state on Friday.