Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja
As the burial ceremony of former chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) draws close, the commission had asked the Federal government to accord Professor Nwosu a posthumous honour as a man that conducted the most credible and freest election in the country.
Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Yakubu Mahmood who made the Clarion call on Monday in Abuja during the commission’s special Tribute ceremony in honour of former INEC chairman,Professor Humphrey Nwosu, regretted that whereas Chief MKO Abiola and Kingibe that were acclaimed winners of the annulled election, have been accorded national honours, Prof Nwosu who declared them winners have not been recognized.
He said,”A quarter of a century (25 years) later in June 2018, the presumed winner of the 1993 Presidential election, Chief M. K. O. Abiola, received the highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), posthumously. His running mate, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, was conferred with the second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). The date of the election (June 12th, 1993) has been gazetted as a national holiday and appropriately named as Democracy Day.
“Sadly, the electoral commission that conducted the election which was personified by Professor Nwosu received only a muffled commendation as if no one conducted the election. Surely, the election did not conduct itself.
“It was organised by a Commission made up of Commissioners and a Chairman. If it was an oversight that Professor Nwosu was not honoured in his lifetime, it is never late for the appropriate authority to do so posthumously.”
Prof Yakubu noted that the commission would leave no stone unturned in struggling to ensure that Prof. Nwosu is imotalize for the legacy he left behind for the commission to emulate.
“For us in INEC, we will continue to appreciate Professor Nwosu and the dedicated service he rendered to the nation.
Continuing he said,”His tenure is synonymous with the Open Ballot System popularly referred to as Option A4 in which voters queued up behind the symbol of the party of their choice to vote and to be physically counted.
“Professor Nwosu did his best which was not always appreciated by many, including those who appointed him under an infinite transition from military rule to democracy which ended in the annulment of the presidential election held in 1993, resulting in the dissolution of the electoral commission and the emergence of an interim government.
” However, with the passage of time, the outcome of his effort is now widely appreciated. The election is now celebrated as one of the best in Nigeria. Even those who annulled it have expressed regret.
” For the family, Professor Nwosu’s four years at the electoral commission must have been extremely challenging. With faith in God and knowing the caliber of person he was, you stood by him. We commend you and may God continue to give you the strength to bear the colossal loss.
“The Commission is grateful to the family for the honour to be part of this occasion. May God’s blessings continue to be with you as you conclude the remaining activities for a farewell well-deserved for Professor Nwosu.”
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