South East Caucus Urges Tinubu to Immortalize Prof. Humphrey Nwosu

By Iyojo Ameh

The South East Caucus of the Senate has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to honor the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), who oversaw Nigeria’s historic 1993 presidential election.

Addressing journalists after a Senate vote on the matter, the Caucus expressed disappointment that their motion to officially recognize Nwosu’s contributions was largely rejected. The motion contained three key requests.

First, the lawmakers urged the Senate to recommend to the executive that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters be named after Nwosu. They noted that Nwosu laid the foundation for the current INEC building and introduced key electoral reforms before the military annulled the June 12, 1993 election and dissolved the NEC. They referenced former INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega, who recently lamented that Nwosu had yet to receive any national recognition for his role in organizing Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.

Secondly, the Caucus proposed that the federal government confer a posthumous national honor on Nwosu for his service to democracy. However, this request was also turned down by the Senate.

The third request, which called for the Senate to observe a one-minute silence in Nwosu’s honor, was approved.

Despite the rejection of their other proposals, the South East Caucus remains optimistic that Nwosu will eventually receive national recognition. They compared his situation to that of Chief MKO Abiola, who was not immediately recognized but was later honored, with June 12 officially declared as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

“Even if this government does not honor him, a future government will,” a Caucus member stated. “Nwosu played a critical role in shaping Nigeria’s democracy, and his contributions cannot be ignored.”

The lawmakers highlighted Nwosu’s defiance of a court order that sought to halt the 1993 election, arguing that without his determination, June 12 would not have become a landmark in Nigeria’s democratic history.

They reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that Nwosu’s legacy is preserved and urged Nigerians to continue advocating for his recognition.