A motion to honour the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission who oversaw the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election, sparked intense debate in the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South, alongside several co-sponsors from the minority caucus, primarily from the South-East geopolitical zone, raised the motion under matters of urgent public importance. They sought to immortalise Nwosu for his significant contributions to Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Prof. Nwosu’s contributions to Nigeria’s democracy remain undeniable. Despite the challenges he faced, he conducted an election that remains a reference point in our electoral history. It is only right that this Senate recognizes his role and honours his memory,” Abaribe argued.
However, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele interrupted the motion, citing a procedural issue. He contended that senators had not received copies of the motion, a claim Abaribe refuted, insisting the documents were available. The disagreement escalated, creating a tense atmosphere in the chamber.
Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin described the motion as “controversial,” stating, “Some people see him as one of those who truncated June 12, others say he was a hero of democracy.”
When Abaribe finally moved the motion, a voice vote was taken, and Jibrin ruled in favour of the “nays,” effectively rejecting the proposal. Further attempts by Abaribe to revisit the motion under personal explanation were also blocked.
Visibly frustrated, Abaribe questioned, “What is wrong with this motion? What is wrong with a motion to immortalise Prof. Nwosu?” Other South-East senators, including Patrick Ndubaeze and Victor Umeh, expressed their disappointment, with Umeh striking his desk in frustration.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi supported Abaribe, accusing Jibrin of trying to suppress debate. “We have to allow people to speak; otherwise, we are saying that whenever things go wrong, we cannot intervene to correct ourselves,” Abdullahi asserted. He, too, was overruled.
As tensions mounted, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stepped in to calm the heated exchange, calling for national unity. “We must handle this matter with sensitivity and respect for history. While opinions may differ, we should focus on strengthening our democratic institutions rather than revisiting past divisions,” he urged.
Following further deliberations, the Senate decided to defer a final decision, referring the motion to the appropriate committee for further review.
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