Chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to name the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after former chairman of the nation’s electoral umpire, Professor Humphrey Nwosu.
Chief Okorie made the call in a statement he issued to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
Professor Nwosu was Chairman of the then Nation Electoral Commission (NEC), which conducted the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
The late Abiola had been declared winner in 14, out of the 30 states of the Federation before former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the exercise.
Further checks revealed that at the public presentation of his memoir, A Journey in Service, last week, General Babangida confessed that Abiola won the election.
ALSO READ: Why Buhari snubbed Babangida’s book launch — APC chieftain
The founder of APGA in his statement who recalled that the election had been adjudged as the most peaceful and fairest in the nation’s history, asked the present administration to immortalize the late Professor Nwosu whom he described as the unsung hero of the June 12 election.
The statement reads in part: “It is sad that the most visible unsung hero of the much celebrated June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria is Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) which later became INEC.
“Nigerians commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day in the place of May 29. He also affirmed late Chief M.K.O Abiola, the winner of the June 12 presidential election, along with Alhaji Babagana Kingigbe as his running mate.
“The two were accordingly honoured with the requisite National Honors of GCFR and GCON, respectively.
“Regrettably, no mention was made of Professor Humphrey Nwosu in the honours list for the historic June 12 election. Professor Nwosu had long before President Buhari honored the June 12 heros written his book where he gave account of the true outcome of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, including the figures scored by Chief MKO Abiola the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and Alhaji Bashir Tofa, the presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention, NRC, showing Chief Abiola’s resounding victory in that election.
“The undisputed fact is that there would be no June 12 celebration in Nigeria without Professor Humphrey Nwosu. He stuck out his neck in the face of obvious threats to his life by a military junta determined to scuttle the election and announce the actual election results.
“This did not prevent General Ibrahim Babangida, the military President of Nigeria, from proceeding to annul the election.
“After more than three decades, General Ibrahim Babangida publicly presented his memoir in which he vindicated Professor Humphrey Nwosu. He even boasted that it was under his watch that Nigeria had the fairest and freest presidential election.
“Yet the architect of this unprecedented national feat remained unsung. “The big question is, when will Nigeria have the good fortune to have the likes of Professor Humphrey Nwosu to preside over our Independent National Electoral Commission again?
“President Muhammadu Buhari has done his own bit by giving Nigeria a more acceptable Democracy Day, which is June 12, and honoured late MKO Abiola as former President and a posthumous award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR.
“The ball is now in the court of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give Professor Nwosu a befitting National Honor.
“Unfortunately, Professor Humphrey Nwosu died recently and his burial program has been announced by his family.
“It is the expectation of Nigerians that President Tinubu should authorize a national burial for him. It will be to the credit of President Tinubu, the only true civilian to be elected President of Nigeria after President Shehu Shagari and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to approve the National Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to be named after Professor Humphrey Nwosu.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should sieze the moment.”
and then