Demand for National Commendation for Past INEC Leader – The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has advocated for a posthumous national honour to be bestowed upon the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, who led the electoral body from 1989 to 1993.
Speaking at a tribute held at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Yakubu lauded Nwosu’s significant contributions to Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly his introduction of the Option A4 voting system and the Open Ballot System.
Yakubu characterized the 1993 presidential election, conducted under Nwosu’s leadership, as one of the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, despite its eventual annulment.
“Like all his six predecessors and seven successors to date, he had the arduous task of managing elections in an extremely challenging context,” Yakubu stated.
“He also introduced a number of reforms to election management. 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.”
Yakubu acknowledged the difficult circumstances under which Nwosu operated, noting the transition from military rule to democracy and the controversial annulment of the 1993 election.
“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,” Yakubu emphasized.
He expressed his firm belief that Nwosu’s contributions warrant a national honour and urged the relevant authorities to posthumously recognize his service.
“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, 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. The date of the election (June 12th, 1993) has been gazetted as a national holiday and appropriately named Democracy Day,” Yakubu recalled.
“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 organized 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.”
“For us in INEC, we will continue to appreciate Professor Nwosu and the dedicated service he rendered to the nation,” Yakubu concluded.
