The Federal Government has been called upon to acknowledge and honour the man at the centre of the credibility story of the annulled June 12, 1993 election, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu.

Retired Archbishop of Enugu Province (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, who made the call yesterday in Enugu also urged the government to prosecute and punish accordingly, the former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), for the sins he confessed he committed against the country and its people.

Nwosu who was the chairman of the then National Electoral Commission (NEC) that conducted and declared the June 12, 1993 election that was annulled by Gen. Babangida (rtd), died on October 24, 2024, without government acknowledging his patriotic service to the country. He would be buried on March 28.

Archbishop Chukwuma, who was reacting to Babangida’s June 12 confession on Thursday at his book launch, decried the silence of the government and Nigerians on Nwosu who he said was the brain behind the credibility of the June 12 election being celebrated in the country today.

He said: “Now, Humphrey Nwosu is dead, it has been now credited to him that he conducted a very serious, acceptable and most credible election in Nigeria, but no national honour is given to him. Whereas Kingibe was honoured, Abiola has been honoured, but the person who conducted the credible election that was annulled, Humphrey Nwosu, was never given any honour or honoured in Nigeria by all the Heads of State and people who were in government. Nigeria is unfair to Humphrey Nwosu.

“Now that he is dead, what is the government going to do to pacify the suffering of this man who went through hell to conduct a credible election.

“Humphrey Nwosu should be given a posthumous national award, not only that, they should find a monument to be named after Humphrey Nwosu who conducted that credible June 12 election. If June 12 is being remembered and now as Democracy Day, the person who conducted that election for it to be honoured should be given a very great honour in Nigerian history and the Federal Government should play a part in the coming burial of Humphrey Nwosu in Ajali, Anambra State.”

On IBB’s confession, Chukuma said: “All that has been said by IBB in his book, regretting or probably confessing that MKO Abiola won the June 12 election, is absolute rubbish, a very great disappointment and insult to Nigerians. If I have my way IBB should be jailed for that type of statement and for taking the entire country for a ride.

“It is unfair to us as Nigerians and to the Igbo that Babangida would be making this statement after 32 years. 1993, I was in Bauchi and I followed the election, I even had a time with MKO Abiola in Jos when he came for campaign and we did not talk about religion, it was Muslim, Muslim, but because we thought that it is going to be a leadership that will come to salvage Nigeria, we all voted for Abiola in that credible election that was conducted by Humphrey Nwosu.

“Now you are telling us that you annulled that election for the good of Nigeria, to save Nigeria, which is absolute lie, absolute nonsense. Where are we today in Nigeria? Nigeria has continuously suffered the wounds of bad leadership. Today, in Nigeria people are suffering, we cannot even have a credible conducted election in Nigeria and is unfortunate.

“So it is important that we should ask the present government to go back, review that book properly and mete out to IBB the right punishment that he deserves for confessing now that he knew the situation has become irredeemable.

“Nigerians are crying, Nigerians are bitter, the family of Humphrey Nwosu is bleeding because of what their father suffered for the election and now the man is dead. What is Nigeria going to do to remember him?”

Speaking further, Chukwuma said: “It is a pity that we are hearing this confession after 32 years of this election. It is a pity and I believe that the present government under Tinubu should, therefore, look into who conducted this election that was credible, if they are not all in the same line of corruption, if they are not all in the same line of toeing incredible election that is not justified. They should, therefore, show Nigerians that they appreciate the credible election that was conducted by Prof Humphrey Nwosu for which is being now confessed that Abiola won the election.”

Insisting that IBB confession came too late after the demise of Abiola and Nwosu, the cleric demanded that the former military president make a serious apology to the families of Abiola and Humphrey Nwosu.

He prayed that God would help Nigeria to realize the truth and urged the people to continue to pray for a further credible and acceptable election that would make Nigeria grow, become progressive and have a peaceful country. (Sunday Sun)