Senator Adams Oshiomhole has strongly opposed any posthumous recognition for the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), insisting that he failed Nigerians by not officially declaring the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
During a Senate debate on Thursday, Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, accused Nwosu and former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, of deceiving the 18 million Nigerians who voted in what is widely regarded as the country’s freest and fairest election.
“Professor Nwosu and President Babangida fooled the 18 million Nigerians who voted,” Oshiomhole declared. “If he was afraid of the gun because we were under a dictatorship, there were Nigerians who still protested, regardless of the consequences.”
Oshiomhole argued that even after Nigeria transitioned to democracy, Nwosu had numerous opportunities to set the record straight but remained silent.
“After Babangida stepped down, after Abiola’s death, and even during Obasanjo’s presidency, Nwosu could have spoken up. He could have said, ‘This was the real outcome of the election,’ but he never did,” Oshiomhole stated.
“He died without confessing. He cannot be rewarded.”
The debate erupted during deliberations on a motion sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), seeking to recognize Nwosu’s role in Nigeria’s democratic journey. However, Oshiomhole insisted that true courage would have meant declaring Abiola’s victory despite the risks. Since Nwosu failed to do so, he argued, history should not be rewritten to celebrate him.
