Former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the late Prof Humphrey Nwosu, needs no introduction in Nigerian politics over the role he played in the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Nwosu superintended the complex political transitions from military to civilian administration, under the then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, who ruled this country from August 1985 and stepped aside in August 1993.
That election was the best election the Military ever conducted in this country by every standard with unanimity of public and citizenship acceptance unmatched to date.
He came to the challenge very prepared, possibly underestimated but succeeded hugely in posting a near miracle result of competence, strategy and innovation that has since become our elections management watershed.
His tested and proven option A4 of open/secret ballot engineering, remains our best and simplest democracy design 32 years after it was birthed, killed and abandoned.
He pronounced Chief MKO Abiola and his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, two devout Muslims as the undisputed winners of that election, against the highest official muzzle, and Nigerian citizens accepted and applauded him unconditionally. He restated that historical fact everywhere he went and spoke, despite dedicated threats of brimstone.
All living and late beneficiaries of his singular persistence in the sanctity of that elections have been honoured and restituted, including the unrepentant, now repented annullers, who have been sanitised politically, and rinsed clean socially, with peps and pips at every corner. Prof Nwosu never fully recovered from the grievous butchering of his labours, and special love for country.
A man of his untainted eminence, fearless courage and unmatched performance, in the unbeaten national assignment he did for this country, deserves national honour and immortalisation for his immense sacrifices, toils and labour to make Nigeria better, through transparent and credible elections.
He had the most profound integrity mark, never doubted in general acceptability, and never surpassed till date election in the history of Nigeria. In July 2024, the House of Representatives urged President Bola Tinubu to immortalise Prof Nwosu for his efforts in conducting the freest and most credible election in post-independence Nigeria.
His tested and proven option A4 of open/secret ballot engineering, remains our best and simplest democracy design 32 years after it was birthed, killed and abandoned
As the family, friends and wellwishers bid him final farewell on March 28, 2025, well-meaning Nigerians have renewed the call for the Federal Government of Nigeria to honour and immortalise Prof Nwosu for his ultimate sacrifice in enthroning democracy in Nigeria.
The Anamabraborn professor died in October 2024, at the age of 83 years. His burial and interment as announced by the family will finally take place in his home town, Ajali in Orumba Local Government Area of Anambra State.
It is also noteworthy that the principal character of state power then, recently earned organised reprieve when he categorically affirmed everything Prof Nwosu has been saying since 32 years ago.
By bringing a delayed possible closure to that enabled the desperate haunt of silence, conspiracies and lies about Prof Nwosu’s peculiar gallantry in the subject matter of June 12, perhaps his soul will rest better and his family made prouder.
Secondly, and of happier significance, is that the chains of prodemocracy activism which the annulment of that freest and fairest election sparked, now have yielded the boldest dividend in the current occupier of Aso Rock seat of power, the very same place the annulment was scripted.
As such, President Tinubu should award Prof Nwosu with the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) or Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
The President should also initiate and cause a national monument to be named after him, for example, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters, Abuja, to truly show that, there was once a great Nigerian who served independently there with exemplary courage, purpose and fortitude.
The Federal Government also needs to name a prominent road or National Freedom Park after Nwosu in the Federal Capital City and intentionally associate his name and essence with the national celebrations of June 12 as Democracy Day in the country. This would cement the celebration as a wholesome and inclusive act of value and cohesion.
Cutting and celebrating a special cake of history without a proper mention of the designer is a celebration that denies soul and purity. Nigeria under this President should lift her gaze beyond this depressive anomaly and cast a truer net of elegance on June 12.
The legacy of Prof Humphrey Nwosu deserves preservation and honour. He represented the same spectrum of what a credible electoral umpire was and should aspire to be.
He humanised our election experience in a way no one has gotten close to, by stamping an authority and integrity on NEC, derived from citizens’ inspirations, completely different from the graphic epicentre of fraud and mercantile manipulations, it has continuously degraded to.
Let us return honour to a man who deposited and warehoused chastity in our electoral process. Honouring Nwosu is believed to be spiritual and human, as it involves righting a wrong and making a crooked way straight through simple atonement.
