Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) from 1989 to 1993, has died. He was 83 years old and passed away in a hospital in Virginia, USA, as reported by SaharaReporters.
Nwosu is remembered for organizing Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 election, widely considered the freest and fairest in the country’s history. He was appointed to his role by General Ibrahim Babangida, the military ruler at the time.
During the 1993 election, Chief Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won against Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). Nwosu introduced key reforms in the electoral process, such as the Option A4 and Open Ballot voting systems, to make elections more transparent and fair.
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Despite these efforts, Nwosu was ordered by the Babangida regime to stop the release of the election results before they were fully announced. Later, the military annulled the election, leading to widespread protests and political instability.
In July 2024, the Nigerian House of Representatives urged President Bola Tinubu to honor Nwosu for his significant role in conducting what many still view as the most credible election in Nigeria’s history.
GWG
