From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
A heated disagreement erupted on the Senate floor yesterday as the Red Chamber rejected a motion seeking to immortalise the late Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu, who served as chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) oversaw the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was won by the late Chief MKO Abiola but later annulled by the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida.
Eyinnaya Abaribe had moved the motion under Senate Orders 41 and 51 but faced opposition.
The motion was put to a voice vote and subsequently turned down by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session.
Expressing his frustration, Abaribe questioned why the motion was considered controversial.
“Mr. President, I don’t see what is controversial about immortalising Humphrey Nwosu. That is our problem—what exactly is controversial about it?”
However, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, argued that Abaribe failed to follow proper procedure, as he was late in citing another Senate order.
“Mr President, we had already passed the relevant points in our order of the day. Matters of urgent public importance and personal explanations have a specific timeframe, which had already elapsed.”
Bamidele further noted that Abaribe would need to reintroduce the motion formally on the next legislative day through a substantive motion.
In contrast, Yahaya Abdullahi warned against setting a “dangerous precedent” by restricting when senators could raise personal explanations.
“Point of Order and Personal Explanation can be raised at any time. We must not deny senators the opportunity to interject or intervene when necessary,” Abdullahi argued.
Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau addressed Abaribe directly, pointing out an inconsistency in his approach.
“When you approached me this morning, you mentioned Orders 41 and 51. You never mentioned Order 42. Now, after your motion was defeated, you are changing it to Order 42?” Barau questioned.
The late Nwosu, who conducted the annulled June 12, 1993 election, served as Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) from 1989 to 1993. He died on October 24, 2024, at 83. Reports indicate that he will be buried tomorrow.