Angered by Senate’s refusal to immortalise the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu for the second time on Thursday, the South East caucus, stormed out of the hallowed chamber and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to immortalise late electoral umpire.
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after him, for conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country in 1993.
The late Prof Nwosu was the National Chairman of National Electoral Commission (NEC), now known as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election, adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators, said Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election.
He also urged the federal government to honour the late electoral umpire with posthumous national honours.
But Abaribe’s request, seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including former Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), was roundly rejected by other senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalisation.
Specifically, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“Professor 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, more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created”, he said.
Many other Senators like Jimoh Ibrahim, Olamilekan Adeola, Titus Zam, Cyril Fasuyi, Shuaib Afolabi, Sunday Karimi etc, vehemently kicked against the motion and shouted nay, when put to voice vote by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session.
In a spontaneous show of anger, members of the South East caucus in the Senate led by Senator Abaribe stormed out of the chamber to address the press.
Abaribe at the emergency press briefing, told journalists, that the South East Caucus was not happy with Senate’s rejection of the move to immortalise late Nwosu.
He said: “We came here just to make a brief statement after the vote that was taken on the floor with regard to our motion to immortalize Professor Humphrey Mose.
“We had three prayers. The first prayer, which was for them, for the Senate to recommend to the executive that given the fact that professor Humphrey Mwosu was the person who actually laid the foundation of the present INEC headquarters and commenced the building before that particular NEC was dissolved by the military in 1993. we felt that we should recommend that the executive names that INEC building after him.
“This is also in consonance with what professor Jega a former INEC chairman said on Tuesday at the colloquium for professor Humphrey Mwosu he was surprised that up to this moment Humphrey Mwosu has not been recognized or honored by the government of Nigeria who today are benefiting from his plans and the legacy of conducting the freest and fairest election in the country.
“We also had another prayer that even if they don’t do that, that they should also honour Professor Nwosu by giving him a national honor which was also rejected.
“But we are not deterred. The reason is simple. It may be delayed, but it will not be denied.
“We seize this opportunity to specifically appeal to President Bola Tinubu to immortalize the NEC Chairman”, he said.