The calls from various quarters for the immortalisation of Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, NEC, which mid-wifed the acclaimed freest, fairest and most peaceful election in Nigeria’s history, should appeal to us as something to identify with.

Gradually, even if sometimes reluctantly, successive regimes, major players and concerned political interest groups have touched base with the affirmation that the late Chief Moshood Abiola, the candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SPD, won the June 12 presidential election, which was annulled by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.

On August 15, 2008, Prof. Nwosu appeared at a public event at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja and formally announced the result of the election, declaring Abiola winner. Other consequential actions have followed this affirmation.

In June 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari, declared June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, an honour which was removed from May 29, the day of military handover to civilians in 1999. Abiola was posthumously awarded the highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, while his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, was awarded Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON.

A major road in Abuja bears Abiola’s name, while the National Stadium in the Federal Capital was also named after him. The recent admission by General Ibrahim Babangida that Abiola won the election at the unveiling of his autobiography in Abuja, put the matter to rest. Until he passed away on October 20, 2024, Nwosu had vigorously advocated for the nation to come to full terms with June 12 and its aftermaths.

We should not just stop at admitting the obvious about June 12. It left a number of lessons we must be mindful of if we are to revive our democracy from its current state of confidence crisis. Due focus must be placed on the man who made June 12 possible: Prof. Nwosu.

The political scientist was appointed by Babangida after the first NEC Chairman, Professor Eme Awa, resigned. Awa and Nwosu justified the confidence Babangida reposed on officers of the supposed Ivory Tower – the universities – by putting themselves on the line in defence of free and fair election under their watches.

Nwosu led the team that created the Option A4 direct primaries and electoral system, which was virtually fool-proof. He refused to be cowed by the military. He lost his job and nearly lost his life and freedom too. Unfortunately, many professors are now routinely sent to jail for corruptly undermining the elections entrusted to their care.

We call for the renaming of the Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Abuja, after Prof Nwosu, to immortalise him and encourage our Electoral Umpires to emulate him. The labours of our heroes past must never be in vain.

We must give honour to whom it is due! (Vanguard Editorial)