From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Professor of Political Science, Hassan Saliu, has urged the Senate to reconsider its stance not to honour the former Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC) Prof. Humphery Nwosu.
In an article, titled: ‘Prof Humphrey Nwosu was a courageous electoral umpire in Nigeria’, the scholar of international relations at the University of Ilorin, argued that the late Prof. Nwosu was not treated fairly in the ensuing debate on the floor of the Senate, stressing that the debate did not reflect the totality of issues involved when voting against the motion to honour the late electoral umpire.
According to Saliu, without the courageous steps taken by the Nwosu, which included approaching the courts to vacate the orders stopping the election from holding and resuming the announcement of the results, the outcome would have been different.
Saliu, who is the incumbent President of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), while pointing out that the Nwosu was undeterred in the defence of democracy despite insults and being under surveillance, added that the case of injustice being built around the issue to honour late Nwosu was justified for the fact that the eventual beneficiary of the election, Chief Moshood Abiola has been recognised as a former President, while the man who put his life on the line to make the election take place, has been denied official recognition on the grounds that the full election results were not announced.
He further argued that the information provided by former President Ibrahim Babaginda under whom the annulment of the election took place, in his latest book on the coordinated efforts to stop the election from holding was enough evidence to honour Nwosu, who used his office to fight against the truncation of the electoral process until he was disabled.
“It is not too late to honour Nwosu for his innovative ideas on the conduct of elections in the country and his subsequent defence of democracy. The Senate is urged to reconsider its stand on the matter of immortalising the late electoral umpire in Nigeria. In recognising individuals, both efforts and outcomes are considered, but in some cases, efforts have been the basis for such recognition. In Nwosu’s case, he was determined to reach the final point but was prevented by conspiracies. He tried his best in the face of desperation by some military officers who wanted to occupy the presidency.
“In my view, Prof. Nwosu was courageous in conducting the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s electoral history. He deserves to be honoured, notwithstanding the stoppage of the announcement of final election results and the subsequent annulment of the election by the Babangida’s government.’’