Humphrey Nwosu,
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that those who annulled the 1993 presidential election now regret their actions.
Yakubu made this statement while paying tribute to the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, who served as the Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) from 1989 to 1993.
Speaking at the Afternoon of Tributes event held in honour of the late professor at INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Yakubu highlighted Nwosu’s significant role in overseeing the 1993 election, which is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most transparent and credible polls.
The late NEC chairman hailed from the Ajali community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Yakubu noted that former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, had publicly expressed regret over the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election during the launch of his memoir, A Journey in Service, describing it as the most difficult period of his life.
He emphasized that despite the annulment, history has recognized the 1993 election as a milestone in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
According to him, “with the passage of time, the outcome of his effort is now widely appreciated. The election is now celebrated as one of the best in Nigeria. Even those who annulled it have expressed regret.”
Yakubu also credited Nwosu with pioneering key innovations in election management, including the establishment of INEC’s three-tier structure at the national, state, and local government levels.
According to him, Nwosu introduced reforms such as the Open Ballot System, popularly known as Option A4, where voters queued behind their chosen party’s symbol to cast their votes and be counted publicly.
Reflecting on Nwosu’s legacy, Yakubu stated: “Professor Nwosu did his best, which was not always appreciated by many, including those who appointed him under an infinite transition from military rule to democracy, which ended in the annulment of the presidential election held in 1993, resulting in the dissolution of the electoral commission and the emergence of an interim government.”
He further noted that while the presumed winner of the election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, was posthumously conferred with the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) in 2018, and his running mate, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, received the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Nwosu and the electoral commission that conducted the election were largely overlooked.
“Sadly, the electoral commission that conducted the election, which was personified by Professor Nwosu, received only a muffled commendation as if no one conducted the election.”
“Surely, the election did not conduct itself. It was organised by a commission made up of commissioners and a chairman. If it was an oversight that Professor Nwosu was not honoured in his lifetime, it is never too late for the appropriate authority to do so posthumously,” Yakubu said.
