The Senate on Wednesday dismissed a proposal to honour former National Electoral Commission (NEC) chairman, Humphrey Nwosu, who oversaw the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe from Abia South brought forward the motion under Senate Orders 41 and 51, but it did not receive the needed support.
News About Nigeria gathered that when put to a voice vote, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau ruled against it.
Expressing his disappointment, Abaribe questioned why the proposal was seen as controversial.
He said, “Mr President, I don’t see what is controversial about immortalising Humphrey Nwosu. That is our problem—what exactly is controversial about it?”
However, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele pointed out that the motion was not presented at the appropriate time, stating that legislative procedures must be followed.
He advised Abaribe to reintroduce it on another legislative day as a formal motion.
“We had already passed the relevant points in our order of the day. Matters of urgent public importance and personal explanations have a specific timeframe, which has already elapsed,” Mr Bamidele explained.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi from Kebbi argued that lawmakers should have the right to raise issues at any time, warning that restricting such discussions could set a bad precedent.
Barau countered Abaribe’s approach, noting that the senator originally cited Orders 41 and 51 but later attempted to modify his argument to fit Order 42 after the motion was rejected.
Nwosu, who led the electoral body between 1989 and 1993, played a key role in organizing the 1993 presidential election, which was later annulled.
He passed away on October 24, 2024, at the age of 83, and is set to be buried on March 28, 2025.
