…Urges Tinubu to Take Action
The Senators from South East Caucus of the Senate staged a walkout on Thursday after the chamber, for the second time, rejected a motion to immortalize the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu. The caucus then appealed to President Bola Tinubu to take executive action in honoring Nwosu’s legacy.
Leading the charge, the caucus chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), reintroduced a motion to name the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after Nwosu. Abaribe argued that the late professor laid the foundation for the electoral body in 1993 and conducted what is widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest presidential election.
Nwosu, who chaired the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), pioneered the Option A4 voting system that produced the widely acclaimed June 12, 1993, presidential election. Abaribe, supported by 15 co-sponsors, insisted that Nwosu deserved national recognition, like other key figures of the historic election. He also called on the federal government to posthumously confer a national honor on the late electoral chief.
However, the Senate overwhelmingly rejected the motion. Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) opposed the proposal, arguing that Nwosu failed in his duty by not announcing the election results despite military pressure.
“A man who is not ready to die for something will die for nothing. If he was afraid to declare the June 12 results in 1993, he cannot be rewarded now—especially when many Nigerians lost their lives due to his inaction,” Oshiomhole asserted.
Several other senators, including Jimoh Ibrahim, Olamilekan Adeola, Titus Zam, Cyril Fasuyi, Shuaib Afolabi, and Sunday Karimi, also opposed the motion. When Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin put it to a voice vote, the motion was soundly defeated.
South East Senators Walk Out in Protest
Outraged by the rejection, the South East Caucus, led by Abaribe, stormed out of the chamber and addressed the press.
“We are deeply disappointed by the Senate’s refusal to recognize Professor Nwosu’s contributions,” Abaribe said.
He recalled how former INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega recently expressed shock that Nwosu had not yet been honored, despite laying the foundation for today’s electoral system.
“Our motion had three requests: first, to name the INEC headquarters after him; second, to grant him a posthumous national honor; and third, if these were denied, to urge President Tinubu to take executive action. Unfortunately, all were rejected,” Abaribe lamented.
However, he vowed that the fight to immortalize Nwosu was far from over.
“It may be delayed, but it will not be denied. We now appeal directly to President Tinubu to honor the late NEC chairman.”
Joining the South East senators at the briefing was Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), further underscoring regional support for the motion.
