The Senate on Thursday dismissed a motion seeking to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in honor of the late Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), who presided over the historic but annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the motion—which also proposed posthumous national honors for Nwosu—was reintroduced after being rejected on Wednesday. It reignited fierce debate among lawmakers, who remained sharply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
While some senators, like Osita Ngwu, defended Nwosu’s constrained role under military rule (“He couldn’t have announced results with a gun to his head… many still regard him as a hero”), others contested the appropriateness of the tribute. The motion was ultimately voted down, leaving Nwosu’s controversial place in Nigeria’s democratic history unresolved.
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results, insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote. They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.