As Nigeria prepares for the March 28, 2025, burial of former National Electoral Commission (NEC) Chairman, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, a coalition has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immortalize him by naming the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Abuja after him.
The Coalition for the Immortalisation of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu made this appeal in recognition of his role in conducting the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.
Speaking at a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos, the coalition’s leader and Executive Director of the Citizens Network for Stability & Justice, Collins Steve Ugwu, highlighted the recent admission by former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, that the election was won by the late philanthropist and democracy icon, MKO Abiola. Despite Babangida’s annulment of the election, Ugwu stated that Nwosu had carried out his duty with integrity and courage, and should be honored accordingly.
“Naming the INEC headquarters after him will acknowledge that a great Nigerian once served independently there, demonstrating exemplary courage, purpose, and fortitude,” Ugwu said.
The coalition also urged Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, to bestow an honor befitting Nwosu’s legacy. Additionally, Ugwu, alongside the South West Coordinator of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Everest Ozonweke, and public affairs analyst Mazi Chris Maduka, called on President Tinubu to confer on Nwosu a national award—either the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) or the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).
“Prof. Humphrey Nwosu represented the ideal electoral umpire—transparent, credible, and committed to democracy. Unlike the electoral manipulations that have plagued INEC since his tenure, Nwosu left a legacy of integrity that should be celebrated. Let us restore honor to his name and to the institution he once led,” Ugwu added.
Prof. Nwosu, who passed away in October 2024 without any national or state recognition, will be laid to rest in his hometown, Ajali, Orumba Local Government Area of Anambra State, on March 28. A colloquium and tribute night will be held in his honor in Enugu and Abuja, respectively.
