Elder statesman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, has called on President Bola Tinubu to rename the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in honor of the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, recognizing his pivotal role in the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Okorie’s appeal follows last week’s acknowledgment by former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, that Chief MKO Abiola won the election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s fairest and freest electoral exercise.
In a statement issued in Enugu and sent to The Guardian, Okorie expressed regret that despite his crucial role, Nwosu remains an unsung hero.
He noted that while former President Muhammadu Buhari declared June 12 as Democracy Day and posthumously honored MKO Abiola and his running mate, Babagana Kingibe, Nwosu was overlooked in the national recognition.
“The undisputed fact is that there would be no June 12 celebration in Nigeria without Professor Humphrey Nwosu,” Okorie emphasized. “He stood firm despite threats from a military regime bent on annulling the election and courageously announced the actual results.”
Okorie argued that three decades after the annulment, Babangida’s public memoir vindicates Nwosu, reinforcing his role in conducting Nigeria’s fairest election.
He urged President Tinubu to correct this historical oversight by granting Nwosu a befitting national honor, including renaming the INEC headquarters after him. With Nwosu’s burial arrangements already announced, Okorie also called for a national burial to properly recognize his contributions to Nigeria’s democracy.
“As the only true civilian to be elected President after Shehu Shagari and Goodluck Jonathan, President Tinubu has the historic opportunity to enshrine Professor Nwosu’s legacy by renaming the INEC headquarters in his honor,” Okorie concluded.
