By Sir Fred Chukwuelobe
When Gen. Sani Abacha overthrew the Chief Ernest Shoneka-led Interim National Government (ING), he dissolved the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) led by Paschal Bafyau with Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole as one of the two deputies. The other was Chief Frank Oramalu.
Gen. Abacha took over from Gen. Ibrahim Babangida who had announced the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election adjudged the freest and fairest the nation has ever known.
When he proscribed the NLC, Senator Oshiomhole never had the courage to challenge Abacha. Instead, he lobbied the then minister of labour and productivity, Alhaji Uba Ahmed, and became president of the NLC, succeeding Mr. Bafyau.
It was on that pedestal that he built the network and became two term governor of Edo State and now senator.
This is the same man who is now opposed to a posthumous immortalisation of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu because the latter didn’t “demonstrate courage” and didn’t dare the khaki boys by announcing the June 12, 1993 presidential election result.
He was among the opponents of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s motion seeking the immortalisation of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, chairman of the defunct NEC.
Along with Senators Jimoh Ibrahim, Olamilekan Adeola, and others, the former Edo State Governor said, “Nwosu failed to demonstrate the necessary courage to announce the June 12 election results” even after the military junta had ordered him not to.
Oshiomhole stated, “he who is not ready to die for something will die for nothing. Nwosu lacked the courage to stand by the election results.”
When senators of South East extraction walked out of senate chambers on Mrach 27, 2025 in protest against the continued denial of a deserving honour to late Prof. Nwosu, I didn’t know what to write. I was dumbfounded. I was weak.
I have always thought that late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu might have done something ‘so terrible’ to be treated with contempt by a section of the political class and by implication Nigeria. I never knew his ‘offence’ was his inability to dare the military junta and, perhaps, ‘die for Nigeria.’
Because he didnt do that, Nigerian leaders both past and present felt he did not merit a recognition for his heroics with the introduction of Option A4 used in the June 12, 1993 presidential election presumed to have been won by late Chief MKO Abiola.
He didn’t ‘commit suicide’ for politicians like Senators Oshiomhole and co to adjudge him worthy of a national honour.
Most of those opposed to the immortalisation of Nwosu didn’t have the courage to confront the army boys; some ran to exile. Today they are alive to judge Prof. Nwosu from their exalted seats.
Nwosu had released “many of the election results when he was ordered to stop further announcement by the military regime. In 2008, he published a book in which he claimed that Babangida was not to blame for annulling the election. The book was severely criticized for failing to accurately account for what happened.”
The senators of South East extraction walked out of plenary in protest against the treatment of their brother and an accomplished Nigerian.
I know Nigeria. Nothing will happen. Nwosu will not be honoured.
But he should not remain the unsung hero of June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Let the South East honour him.
Let them name institutions and edifices after him.
Let them institute an annual colloquium in his honour and let him be remembered always.
After all, the Igbos say “onye ajulu adi aju onweya.” (A person rejected by others does not reject himself).
Let those who appreciate what he did, which birthed the democracy we have been practicing since 1999 immortalize him.
(c) Fred Chukwuelobe
