CHUKWU DAVID writes on how some senators resisted the move to immortalise a former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, who conducted the June 12,1993 presidential election that was annulled by the then regime of General Ibrahim Babangida
Most Nigerians witnessed one of the greatest shocks of their lives in the country’s political landscape on March 27, when the Senate, through voice votes, rejected the request by senators from the South-East geo-political zone for the Federal Government to immortalise a former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu. Nwosu, held sway as the head of the country’s electoral umpire under the military dictatorship headed by General Ibrahim Babangida.
The professor Political Science evolved the Option A4 election model, with which he conducted the June 12, 1993 presidential election, adjudged to be the freest and fairest elections in Nigeria’s history.
Indications that the Senate will oppose the proposal to immortalise Nwosu emerged earlier on March 26, when the Red Chamber stepped down the motion in that regard based on seeming inconsequential reasons by the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary session.
The motion, sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District, was stepped down when it was called for consideration. Abaribe moved the motion by citing Orders 41 and 51, which deal on personal explanation to draw the attention of the Chamber on the need to immortalise the late NEC boss.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, however, contended that the order raised by Abaribe was inappropriate, saying that the plenary had gone beyond the privilege Abaribe would have enjoyed to make senators consider the point of order he raised on the late Prof. Nwosu. Earlier, the Deputy President of the Senate, had declared the point of order as controversial and expressed doubt over its approval before allowing Abaribe to speak to the order.
Reacting to the Senate Leader’s submission, Senator representing Kebbi North Senatorial District, Yahaya Abdullahi, expressed fears that the Chamber was drifting into dictatorship where no senator would be allowed to express his view as a result of conflict of orders in the Senate Standing Rules.
He insisted that Senator Abaribe should be allowed to speak on the matter despite not getting the order correct. Abaribe at this point, insisted that the motion should be considered while he read a relevant provision of the Standing Order, saying:
“In all cases not provided for in the Standing Order or by the sectional or other orders of practice of the Senate, the Senate shall by resolution, regulate its procedure. So, even if the Senate Leader says that it doesn’t follow by the fact that a senator wants to make a personal explanation, you must give that senator a chance to make that personal explanation.”
He insisted that the motion to immortalise late Nwosu wasn’t a controversial one as posited by the Deputy Senate President, saying: “Mr President, I don’t know what is controversial for immortalising Humphrey Nwosu on June 12th incident. What is controversial there? What is our problem? What is controversial? It’s not controversial.
Mr. President, just one more time, I will refer to our rules.” All efforts made by Abaribe to get the motion approved notwithstanding, the Deputy President of the Senate, went ahead to over rule him as he was told to bring up the matter through a motion on another legislative day.
On Thursday, March 27, the Senate, after a long period of contentious debate on the motion, rejected prayers contained therein, which sought to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after Nwosu in recognition of his role in the evolution of Nigeria’s democratic process.
Senator Abaribe was given the chance to re-present the motion after the previous day’s experience, where it failed to sale through, and it was eventually stepped down via voice votes, and recommended to be considered on another legislative day.
So, he duly moved the motion and vigorously canvassed support. In seconding the motion, Senator Victor Umeh representing Anambra Central on the platform of the Labour Party, said: “When a man lives in this world and makes an impact; when he departs, his departure should be marked. Prof. Humphrey Nwosu is not an ordinary person in Nigeria.
As the motion in capsulated, he was the chairman of National Electoral Commission (NEC) and for five years under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. “He midwifed the return of democracy to Nigeria through that period. When he was appointed, he started with putting in place, democratic structures given the promise made by Babangida that he will exit by August 1993.
He set out to conduct all the elections ranging from House of Assembly, governorship, National Assembly elections successfully using his designed Option A4, which made it possible for people to queue behind candidates of their choice. “There were no litigations after the declaration of almost all the results. So, the country enjoyed his stewardship.
Then came the presidential election. He prepared for the presidential election and the date was fixed for June 12, 1993, and that would have been his greatest service to this nation if he had conducted the presidential election and declared the results.
He was on it until June 12, and he was summoned by the then military head of state and asked to halt the conduct of the election the next day.” Unfortunately, no sooner he was through with his appeal that the request met vehement opposition from some senators.
The first senator to raise opposition to the motion was Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), who in his contribution to the debate, said that the motion was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history. Oshiomhole stressed that Nwosu was not courageous enough to announce the results of the annulled elections, saying: “Prof. 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. Moreso, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created.”
Other senators including Jimoh Ibrahim, Olamilekan Adeola, Titus Zam, Cyril Fasuyi, Shuaib Afolabi and Sunday Karimi, vehemently kicked against the motion and shouted nay, when put to voice vote by the Deputy President of the Senate, who presided over the session.
In a spontaneous show of anger and disappointment, members of the South East Caucus in the Senate led by Senator Abaribe stormed out of the Chamber to address the press, after which they returned to continue with the plenary session. However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results. He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour. On the other hand, several senators like Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outrightly, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results.
He insisted that “nothing should be named after him.” Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results, saying: “As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him.”
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising Nwosu will undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993 election. “Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered. After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour Nwosu with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise him. Besides senators from the South-East who were with Abaribe at the emergency press briefing was Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), who was there to show solidarity.
