From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew
A frontline Igbo group under the umbrella of Ndi Igbo Intellectual & Cultural Development Organization (NIDO) have demanded due recognition and celebration of Prof Humphrey Nwosu through the naming of a befitting national edifice representative of any of Nigeria democratic institutions.
The group made this demand in a statement signed by Comrade Afuluike Christian Don who was identified as the director of communication and information on Wednesday, titled “ERASING THE DOUBLE STANDARDS OF THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT ON THE EVENTS OF NIGERIA’S MOST CREDIBLE ELECTION”
Their statement read in full; “Being a press statement issued by Ndi Igbo Intellectual & Cultural Development Organization (NIDO) on the celebration of Nigeria’s 2025 Democracy Day.
“The Nigerian state is gradually attaining the stature of one of the most stable democracies in Africa. May 29, 2025 marked 24 unbroken years of democratic governance in Nigeria.
“An impressive departure from the chequered history of military dictatorship in the country and June 12 of each year has been set out as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
“It is in this light that we celebrate with the Nigerian state on the attainment of this milestone while at the same time remembering the sacrifices of Nigeria’s heroes who fought and made various degrees of sacrifices to ensure a return to constitutional governance in 1999 thereby aligning Nigeria with the rest of the free world.
“The celebration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day on June 12 as against May 29 of each year (which is the day set aside to swear in elected Presidents/Governors in the country) effective 6th June, 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari is in remembrance of Nigeria’s most credible election in June 12, 1993 and in honour of the winner of that election Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola who died in detention in the course of the pursuit for the actualisation of his mandate.
“This represents a scant atonement for the brutal deprivation and denial of the mandate freely given by Nigerian citizens through the most credible elections the country has ever witnessed to MKO Abiola, the killing of his wife Kudirat and many other Nigerians who paid the supreme price in the wake of the struggle for the restoration of Nigeria’s democracy.
“As Nigeria observes the day, it is an opportunity to reflect on the gains and pains of today’s democratic governance riding on the back of seven successive national elections in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 under different electoral umpires. Without doubt, a review of each of these elections only leads to an assessment of which is worse than the other in terms of all known indices of assessment of elections.
“The consistent clamour for electoral reforms till date and now periodic amendments to the Electoral Act depicts a sick electoral system which negatively impacts governance at different levels and resulting in growing discontent and lack of trust in Nigeria’s elections and democracy.
“The above goes to amplify the significance of the successful conduct of the June 12, 1993 elections in Nigeria through a process designed and umpired by an electoral body led by Prof. Humphrey Nwosu of blessed memory. The June 12 1993 elections was as at then reported as annulled despite the plethora of endorsements by local and international observer groups and leading to the arrest, detention and eventual death of the winner of the Presidential election.
“With President Muhammadu Buhari officially recognising the June 12 1993 elections and its outcome, the Nigerian state seem to have relapsed into a state of deliberate amnesia as there is no mention of the umpire who courageously and meticulously oversaw the elections. Late Prof Humphrey Nwosu’s indellible contributions to Nigeria’s electoral process seems to have been deliberately forgotten by a nation that delights more in celebrating mediocrity.
“Without doubt, it reeks of double standards to recognise the election as the most credible in the history of elections in Nigeria; recognise the outcome of the election; and at the same time pretend to forget the brain behind the entire process. This is unacceptable and is surely at the heart of the abysmally poor performance of Nigeria’s electoral body in all other elections conducted in the country since then.
“We therefore condemn without reservations this deliberate act of denying Prof. Humphrey Nwosu the honor that he deserves by successive governments at both the Federal and State levels as such is the recipe for the poor performance of subsequent electoral umpires in the country leading to the current sorry state of governance in the country.
“We equally demand due recognition and celebration of Prof Humphrey Nwosu through the naming of a befitting national edifice representative of any of our democratic institutions after the late egg head and proponent of “option A4”. This gesture will serve to encourage serving and future electoral umpires in the country to serve with diligence and integrity thereby strengthening the nation’s democracy beyond the ritual of electoral reforms.
“We also urge the Anambra State government and other state governments particularly those of the south east geopolitical zone to ensure the immortalization of the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu as he was a worthy Nigerian deserving of such honour.
Happy democracy day 2025 to Nigeria.”
