Group Urge President Tinubu, Gov. Soludo ,To Immortalize Famous Late June 12 INEC Chairman, Professor Humphrey Nwobu Nwosu. See Videos Below

By Emmanuel Edom 

In a move already Commended by many Nigeria Political Stakeholders, a group, “Coalition For The Immortalization Of Professor Humphrey Nwobu Nwosu”, has called on the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to  honor the late  June 12 Legend and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Humphrey Nwobu Nwosu.

At a World Press Conference, held yesterday, March 18th,2025, inside the Nigerian Union Of Journalists,NUJ House,Ladi Lawal Press Center , Alausa ,Ikeja ,Lagos State , the Coalition highlighted the sacrifices and efforts of the late Professor Humphrey Nwobu Nwosu, which they said helped in no small measure to stabilize Democracy in Nigeria, after decades of Military incursion into politics.

Led by some highly respected Igbo Leaders, such as the Director, Citizens Network For Stability And Justice/”Aka – Ikenga ” Director Of Communication, Mr.  Collins Steve Ugwu; South – West Coordinator of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World Wide, Chief Everest Ozonweke and Public Affairs and Policy Analyst, Mr. Chris Maduka, the Coalition called on the President to honor the late erudite Professor with a post humours National Merit Award of the Grand Commander Order Of Niger,GCON or Commander Federal Republic,CFR , as well as to Immortalize his firm stand on positive democratic principles,by renaming the INEC headquarter Building After him.

While commending Late Professor Humphrey Nwobu Nwosu’s “Option A4 Electoral Principle and guideline “,as the best indigenous Electoral system invention in Africa , the Coalition, also called on the Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, to immediately immortalize his late University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN colleague and brother, who stood firm on integrity, despite enamous intimidation,threats , coercion by the Military regime led by General Ibrahim Babangida, after conducting the freest and most credible Presidential election acknowledged by the International Community.

One of the Convener, Chief Ozonweke, spoke gloriously about the late erudite Professor and integrity Icon, Professor Humphrey Nwobu Nwosu, urging the Country’s leadership to do the needful.

Chief Ozonweke called on all well meaning Nigerians to attend the Night of Tribute slated for 5pm, on March 25th, 2025,at Shehu Musa YarAdua Center, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory,FCT.

While the fiery Public Affairs and Policy Analyst, Mr. Maduka, who was methodical in his contributions, knocked the Nigerian State for waiting for too long, spanning 32 years, to bestow honor to the man that stood on the side of integrity and democratic ideals.

It would be recalled that Professor Humphrey Nwobu Nwosu ,who hail from Ajali Community in Orumba Local Government Area of Anambra State, died last year October 2024, at the age of 83 years and will be buried on March 28th,2025, with Nigeria’s Vice President expected to lead a high powered Federal Government representatives to the burial.

According to Mr. Collins Steve Ugwu, some of the demands by the Coalition are as follows: “Specially giving him a deserving national awards of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger, GCON, or Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR. We trust the President to rise up to this overdue responsibility, remarkably endorsed by the providence of his position today, as the democratic President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

2) To initiate and cause a national monument to be named after him, for example the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters, Abuja, to truly show that, there was once a great Nigerian that served independently there, with exemplary courage, purpose and fortitude. Nigerians agree and know who that person is, and now was. 

3) To name a prominent road or National Freedom Park after him in the Federal Capital City. 

4) To intentionally and deliberately associate his name and essence with the National celebrations of June 12 as Democracy Day in this country, in order to effectively cement it as a wholesome and inclusive act of value and cohesion.  If you continue to cut and celebrate a special cake of history, without a proper mention of the designer, it will continue to be a celebration denied a soul and purity. Nigeria under this President should lift her gaze beyond this depressive anomaly, and cast a better net of elegance on June 12. We earnestly thank the President in advance for this correction and sensitivity, because only him can confidently heal this sore outrage.

5) On the State level of Anambra, where Prof Nwosu is native to, we are expectant that the Governor of the State, H.E Prof Charles Soludo, a confessed and popular solution driver, a colleague Professor of repute, and cerebral social scientist of same faculty, in same University of Nigeria, Nsukka, will act as deserved for a kinsman of such status and identity as Prof. Humphrey Nwosu. We actually do not need to preach to him we believe, but urge him to act his conviction on this matter like a Professor and his Governor.”

 Already,  “The Governor of Enugu State is set to  host a high level National Colloquium in his honour, which will take place on the 21st of March 2025, in Enugu Campus of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. “

See the full test of the Press Statement below : 

“WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE COALITION FOR THE IMMORTALISATION OF PROF HUMPHREY NWOBU NWOSU, KSP, GLOBAL SCHOLAR AND POLITICAL SCIENTIST OF RENOWN, THE ARCHITECT OF OPTION A4, AND CUSTODIAN, NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION IN NIGERIA 1989- 1993, THAT GAVE THIS COUNTRY THE UNDISPUTED FREEST AND FAIREST ELECTIONS SO FAR IN OUR CURRENT HISTORY OF DEMOCRACY.*

PROTOCOLS;

Our Very Special Guests- the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press of our National and International Media.

Other Special Guests,

My Able Co-Conveners of this Press Conference: 

Mazi Chris Maduka, Notable Public Affairs and Policy Analyst. 

Chief Everest Ozonweke, South West Coordinator, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

And my humble Self, Collins Steve Ugwu.

Executive Director, Citizens Network for Stability & Justice.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

We welcome all of you warmly to this Press Conference, and we feel privileged you honoured us with your kind presence and attention. 

Thank you all very much indeed.

This engagement is specifically and specially on the person of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu who sadly passed on to the great beyond on October 2024, at the age of 83 years. His burial and interment as announced by the family will finally take place in his home town, Ajali in Orumba Local Government Area of Anambra State, on March 28, 2025. 

We are therefore convinced and persuaded that a man of his untainted eminence, fearless courage and unmatched performance, in the unbeaten national assignment he did for this country, deserve a solemn re-tell of his immense delicate sacrifices, toils and labour, to make Nigeria better, through transparent and credible elections. He had the most profound integrity mark, never doubted in general acceptability, and never surpassed till date.

 For a summary recap, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu was the National Electoral Commission  Chairman for Nigeria who superintendent the complex & endless political transitions from Military to Civilian administration, under the then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, who ruled this country from August 1985 and stepped aside in August 1993. That election was the best elections the Military ever conducted in this country by every standards, local and international, with a unanimity of public and citizenship acceptance unrivaled till date.

He came to the difficult challenge very prepared, possibly underestimated, but succeeded hugely to  post a near miracle results of competence, strategy and innovation, that has since  become our elections management watershed. This was because Humphrey Nwosu simply got it right, and STOOD BY IT. ( “stood by it” is emphasized because that courage was rare and uncommon in maximum dictatorships across Africa and the third world globally.)

• His tested and proven option A4 of open/secret ballot engineering, remain our best and simplest democracy design 32 years, after it was birthed, killed and abandoned.

•He pronounced Chief MKO Abiola and his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, two devout Muslims  as the undisputed winners of that election, against the highest terrible official muzzle to shut to Commission up, but he defied them. Nigerian citizens accepted and applauded him unconditionally.

• He restated that historic fact everywhere he went and spoke, despite dedicated threats of brimstone hanged on his neck.

*Prof Humphrey Nwosu rejected flatly the serial temptations of graft liberally thrown at him to capitulate and just walk away, but instead returned a hefty unspent money of over 500 million Naira then.

•All living and late beneficiaries of his singular persistence  in the sanctity of that elections, has been honoured and restituted, including the unrepentant, now repented annullers, who has been sanitized politically, and rinsed clean socially, with peps and pips every corner. Except of course, and curiously, Prof Humphrey Nwosu, who never fully recovered from the grievous butcher of his labours, that his special love for his country was fed to the waste bin by a grotesque annulment.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, we are not here interested in any form of controversy, or indulgence to cultivate attention. The attention we seek is for the right thing to be done to a man, who did the right thing, at the right moment of our time and history. And in doing this, we don’t think anybody deserves to expect apologies, rather we request you all to add your voices for Humphrey Nwosu, that as he goes to rest in peace permanently this month, the Nigerian state should close that sore and honour him deservedly. 

Quite sadly, It remained a bizarre  and costly irony of fate, that what one Prof Nwosu gave us as a proud ornament to stand tall in Africa’s elections trajectory, became his mental albatross of torment and torture, by those who appointed him and yet hounded him mercilessly.

We are very happy that the principal character of State power then, recently got an organized reprieve and adornment where he categorically affirmed everything, Prof Nwosu has been saying since 32 years ago, even as they were born the same year of 1941, one in August, Prof in October. By this emphatic disclosure that has brought a delayed but possible closure to that  desperate haunt of silence, conspiracies and lies about Prof Nwosu’s gallantry in the subject matter of June 12, perhaps his soul will rest better and his family made prouder. 

Secondly, and of happier significance, is that the chains of pro democracy activism which the annulment of that freest and fairest election sparked, now have yielded the boldest dividend in the current occupier of Aso Rock seat of power, the very same place the annulment was scripted. We  therefore most respectfully call on the President and Commander in Chief of this Country, H. E, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to boldly reward the delicate and elaborate selflessness of Prof Humphrey Nwosu by amongst others things, consider; 

1) Specially giving him a deserving national awards of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger, GCON, or Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR. We trust the President to rise up to this overdue responsibility, remarkably endorsed by the providence of his position today, as the democratic President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

2) To initiate and cause a national monument to be named after him, for example the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters, Abuja, to truly show that, there was once a great Nigerian that served independently there, with exemplary courage, purpose and fortitude. Nigerians agree and know who that person is, and now was. 

3) To name a prominent road or National Freedom Park after him in the Federal Capital City. 

4) To intentionally and deliberately associate his name and essence with the National celebrations of June 12 as Democracy Day in this country, in order to effectively cement it as a wholesome and inclusive act of value and cohesion.  If you continue to cut and celebrate a special cake of history, without a proper mention of the designer, it will continue to be a celebration denied a soul and purity. Nigeria under this President should lift her gaze beyond this depressive anomaly, and cast a better net of elegance on June 12. We earnestly thank the President in advance for this correction and sensitivity, because only him can confidently heal this sore outrage.

5) On the State level of Anambra, where Prof Nwosu is native to, we are expectant that the Governor of the State, H.E Prof Charles Soludo, a confessed and popular solution driver, a colleague Professor of repute, and cerebral social scientist of same faculty, in same University of Nigeria, Nsukka, will act as deserved for a kinsman of such status and identity as Prof. Humphrey Nwosu. We actually do not need to preach to him we believe, but urge him to act his conviction on this matter like a Professor and his Governor. Already,  The Governor of Enugu State is set to  host a high level National Colloquium in his honour, which will take place on the 21st of March 2025, in Enugu Campus of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. 

So in conclusion, we restate that Prof Humphrey Nwosu, as  that wine of candour from a deep wine press, deserve preservation and honour. He represented the bold spectrum of what a credible Electoral umpire was and should aspire to be. He humanized our election experience in a way no one has gotten close, by stamping an authority of simplicity, transparency and integrity on NEC, derived from citizens inspirations and stellar application. He was very different from the graphic epicentre of fraud and mercantile manipulations, that body has continuously degraded into. Please, Let us put virtue back to the violence INEC has become since his exit, by returning  honour to a man that deposited and warehoused chastity in that house. We can, and should no longer be ease as violators devour and ravage a sacred institutional democratic heritage that NEC was under Prof Humphrey Nwosu. We believe It is spiritual and human to right a wrong, and make a crooked way straight by simple atonement and inclusion.

But let us not be mistaken, Prof Nwosu has done exceedingly well privately and personally. At 83 years, he lived happy, he died fulfilled and will be buried right. What we are saying in all modesty, is that such brilliant  illuminant, impunity defier, with a heart of courage do not  traverse ungrateful terrains joyfully. Our Nation should be spared the overarching  dominance of prowling Machiavellis, and even more proud-less non patriots, as we pushback to rebuke the culture of State complicity in shutting down light bearers while grieving in distressed elections darkness. That is what we, as a conscience driven citizens wish to canvas and possibly see achieved and remedied in this particular instance of Prof.Humphrey Nwosu travails. 

Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen. Help us carry the message across country so that a dear civilian President that cut his political profile right on the aftermath of Professor Nwosu’s electoral engineering will kindly hear and act.  Well-done and welcome again, Gentlemen of the Press Media.

Signed:

*Collins Steve Ugwu*

07084400909

*Mazi Chris O Maduka*

08121263366

*Chief Everest Ozonweke* 

08037268946