By Frank Tietie
Ibrahim Babangida once reminded Nigerians that he should be remembered for conducting Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections. The annulment of these elections is a separate issue from the quality of the elections themselves. This demonstrates how a positive-minded person can maintain optimism despite harsh criticisms and death threats. As a nation, we should strive to focus on the brighter side of life.
Professor Humphrey Nwosu, as the chairman of the National Election Commission of Nigeria, proved that Nigeria can develop its own unique electoral system that is even more reliable than those conducted in supposedly advanced democracies of the Western world.
The June 12, 1993 elections remain the benchmark for free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria’s history.
In a country where improperly conducted elections in 1964 led to the bloody Nigerian Civil War, a man who demonstrated how Nigeria could avoid such conflicts over elections deserves much more than just a national honour; he should be immortalised.
The 1993 presidential election, managed by Prof. Nwosu, implemented the famous “Option A4” open ballot electoral system, which was so meticulously planned and executed that it became impossible to manipulate elections in Nigeria. The elections were so credible that the military government of the time had to resort to force to prevent Prof. Nwosu from announcing the results.
If the military leaders had intended to annul the presidential election, they would not have allowed it to occur in the first place. Some high-ranking military officials in the Babangida regime believed they could manipulate the elections to favour the more compliant Bashir Tofa from Kano. However, they were disappointed by Prof. Nwosu’s management of the process and subsequently pressured Ibrahim Babangida to annul the elections. Thus, had Tofa won in 1993, the election likely would not have been annulled.
Given his contributions to enhancing Nigeria’s electoral system, Nwosu deserves Nigeria’s highest honours. This would symbolise a commitment to achieving the standards of free, fair, and credible elections that he set as one of Nigeria’s most dedicated professors of electoral management.
MKO Abiola is honoured as a national hero today, with the National Stadium named after him for being the undeclared winner of Nigeria’s freest and fairest election. Is it too much to recognise and immortalise the man who conducted that election by naming the headquarters building of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after him?
When MKO Abiola was honoured, it appeased the Yoruba people of Nigeria, and other ethnic groups did not oppose this gesture. However, when it comes to recognising a deserving Humphrey Nwosu to honour the Igbo people, the opposition has emerged from other ethnic groups. This has caused South East senators to stage a walkout from the National Assembly in disbelief over the discrimination.
Nigeria should seize every opportunity to acknowledge its diverse ethnic groups. Many groups feel marginalised and often express grievances regarding their forced inclusion in a union perceived as oppressive, which seems like a struggle for dominance over other people’s resources. From the people of the Niger Delta who seek a larger share of oil and gas resources to the Gbagyi people who feel dispossessed of their ancestral lands for the building of a federal capital, hardly any ethnic group feels satisfied, except for those that dominate national politics. Therefore, when there is a legitimate reason to create a sense of belonging, it should not be subjected to discriminatory politics, as seen in the case of Prof. Nwosu.
The pressing question remains: if not Nwosu, who else should be honoured as a symbol of credible elections? Should we wait until someone from a more favoured ethnic group surpasses his record before renaming the INEC Headquarters after others whom the dominant groups consider truly deserving?
Nigeria is yet to realise in full socio-psychological terms what the civil war did to the Igbo people of Nigeria, thus requiring greater efforts at reconciliation after the “No Victor, No Vanquished declaration that marked the end of the civil war. It is disappointing that the likes of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu still reflect the exclusionary feelings among Igbos of Nigeria
Therefore, an issue that would cause Nigerian Senators of South East origin to stage a walkout in the National Assembly should be considered serious enough to be reconsidered and properly treated.
For a new Nigeria to be possible, there must be give and take. Renaming the INEC Headquarters Building after Prof. Humphrey Nwosu is not too much of an honour for Nigeria to give to a deserving man.
● Tietie, a Nigerian lawyer, public affairs commentator and media personality, writes from Asokoro, Abuja.
