From Emmanuel Uzor, Awka
As Nigeria marks Democracy Day, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has picked holes in President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast for not recognising the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu among heroes of democracy in the country.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, through its National Vice President, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene, described the June 12 broadcast of President Tinubu as poorly prepared, adding that while he recognised the contributions of many Nigerians to the struggle, he failed to mention the then chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof Humphrey Nwosu, who conducted the election adjudged as the best in Nigeria’s democratic history.
The body insisted that the true meaning of democracy day celebration is for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be truly independent, adding that despite the June 12 struggle, the Commission has remained a biased umpire which Tinubu benefited from. “It is very unfortunate that the President made a broadcast and forgot a person like Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, who almost put his life on the ground in the course of discharging his duties as the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC). I don’t think that it was an over sight because it is poorly written and you cannot mention those people that fought for democracy and forget Humphrey Nwosu who made public the outcome of that election.
“Had it been that Nwosu did not go on air to announce the initial set of results which showed that late MKO Abiola was leading comfortably, how would Nigerians have known?
“Last time under Buhari administration, a similar thing played out, and one wonders if it is a deliberate thing to forget Humphrey Nwosu.
“On the importance of this Democracy Day, I see it as yet another opportunity for us as Nigerians to reflect on the independence of our electoral commission.
“Despite the struggle, INEC is still not independent and the only way to ensure democracy is for the Commission to be totally independent, and unfortunately, the current President benefited from that.