Soludo, Ohanaeze mourn as Nwosu, ex-NEC chairman dies at 83

A former Chairman of the National Election Commission, Prof Humphrey Nwosu is dead. He died at the age of 83.

Nwosu, who conducted the June 12, 1993 election annulled by former President Ibrahim Babangida, served as chairman of NEC from 1989 to 1993.

The election was widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.

He hailed from the Ajali community in the Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Although no official statement had been made yet by the family, a source close to the family said the deceased, born on October 2, 1941, died in a hospital in Virginia, United States of America, in the early hours of Thursday.

The source said, “Yes, Prof died this morning in a hospital in Virginia, USA, after a brief illness. The family will soon issue a statement on it.”

Reacting to the development, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, while mourning the death of the former INEC chair, lamented that the deceased died without being celebrated, despite his significant contributions to Nigeria’s electoral system.

The acting National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene, who reacted on behalf of the body, pointed out that while the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, the late MKO Abiola, was remembered and immortalised, the late Prof Nwosu was never honoured.

He said, “Until his death, no one, including the Federal Government, recognised him, even though he put his life on the line to save the country’s democracy.

“The late Humphrey Nwosu was my brother; we belong to the same Orumba North Local Government area of Anambra State and he is my kinsman.

“It is sad that successive administrations in the country never acknowledged him, not even by naming a federal institution after him.

“There are others in his position who might have compromised, but he stood his ground and ensured that the electoral wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian masses were realised.

“The neglect of late Humphrey Nwosu until his death is indicative of the fact that the Nigerian civil war has not truly ended. If Nwosu had been from another tribe, he would have been celebrated.”

He suggested that a National Institute for Political Studies should be established and named after him, in recognition of his contributions to shaping the democracy and politics of the country.

“Late Humphrey Nwosu should have a National Institute for Political Studies named after him and a yearly lecture series should be organised in his name,” he added.

Also, the Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, expressed profound sadness and a deep sense of loss on the passing of the deceased.

Soludo, who described Nwosu as “a most illustrious Nigerian patriot”, lamented that Nigeria has lost a “true umpire of electoral integrity.”

In his condolence message, signed by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, late on Thursday, Soludo lamented that Nigeria had lost a true umpire of electoral integrity in Prof Nwosu, describing him as a distinguished son of Anambra State from the Ajali community in the Orumba North Local Government Area.

He said, “Nwosu brought immense pride to the state through his exemplary service to our nation.

“His tenure as NEC chairman from 1989 to 1993 marked a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey, particularly through his innovative contributions to our electoral process.”

The governor particularly recalled that Prof Nwosu’s legacy had been eternally etched in Nigerian history as the architect of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely acknowledged as the freest and fairest election in our nation’s history.

“His game-changing innovations, including the Option A4 voting system and the Open Ballot system, earned global recognition and set new standards for electoral transparency in Africa, continuing to influence contemporary discussions on electoral best practices in Nigeria,” he added.

Soludo extended his condolences to the family and the Ajali community, praying that his soul finds eternal rest.