Professor Humphrey Nwosu was the true hero of June 12

Amidst the gathering at the recent IBB book launch, one man that was conspicuously missing but whose presence loomed large over the meeting was Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the late Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) as it was then known. I guess as many others would do that had Professor Nwosu been alive he […]

Amidst the gathering at the recent IBB book launch, one man that was conspicuously missing but whose presence loomed large over the meeting was Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the late Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) as it was then known.

I guess as many others would do that had Professor Nwosu been alive he would have found reasons not to be at the occasion in order not to be associated with the controversy that the book has now generated.

The ranks of people assembled at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hotel, venue of the event, can be categorised into two; the men of straw who sought to exaggerate their importance to the June 12 issue and the opportunists who feasted on it to climb to dubious relevance in the national scheme of things. And they were all there preening sanctimoniously for everyone to see.

But history does not forget. The facts and anecdotes of the June 12 struggle are well known to Nigerians that any attempt to misallocate and deodorise the roles and events of the dramatis personae of that episode would be met with the deserved contempt and opprobrium of people who know better. And just as well, Nigerians will not hesitate to apportion appropriate encomiums on those who acquitted themselves creditably on the June 12 struggle.

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Although there have been attempts to either obscure or de-emphasise it by sponsored writers and the commentariat of the June 12 struggle, the fact remains that of all the people who played one role or the other, the man who played the most sterling role and who by the opinion of most objective Nigerians deserved to be celebrated as the true hero of the June 12 issue was, without any scintilla of doubt, the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu.

When he was first appointed by military president General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to the position, the initial response of many Nigerians was one of scepticism. Indeed many had expected that Professor Eme Awa the Chairman of the Political Bureau appointed earlier by IBB to look into the vexing issues of Nigerian politics would get the nod. In contrast to Professor Eme Awa who was a soft spoken, urbane scholar of proven international repute, Professor Nwosu,  was a Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and subsequently of Agriculture in his native Anambra State. At first glance you would think Professor Nwosu with his simple, run-of-the-mill tailored outfits and non-descript suits did not look the part of the man who could handle the job. Whereas Professor Awa addressed audiences in a modulated cadence with the practised ease of a professor drilling his points into his students, Professor Nwosu spoke volubly using local anecdotes, hand and facial gestures to drive his points.

And to hear him speak using words and terms like ‘’wuruwuru’’ and ‘’mago mago’’ one will be led to think this Igbo man could also double as managing a vehicle spare parts shop or hanging out with the traders of Onitsha Amalgamated Organised Traders Association (OMATA) in addition to organising elections in Nigeria.

But beneath all that seeming unsophistication lay a very sharp, intellectual mind. He also had a streetwise disposition and a keen eye for details of things around him which was complemented by an iron-cast commitment to deliver on tasks and targets handed out to him.

To look at him, you would not think this physically imposing man (he could easily have been a successful wrestler, footballer, boxer, basketballer etc if he had chosen to) held a BSc and MSc in political science from the prestigious University of California at Berkeley, an Ivy League university in America and one of the top ten universities in the world by quality of teaching, cutting-edge research and world-famous alumni. Before his appointment as Commissioner in Anambra State, he was teaching Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

I am told that Professor Nwosu, who hails from Ajalli in the Aguata area of Anambra State, typifies the raw, practical, no-frills gutsy character of the people whence he came. The Aguata person is known for saying it as it is, doing it as it should be done and walks away with his head high satisfied that he has said and done what was required of him. It thus comes as no surprise that Professor Nwosu was able to achieve success with the June 12 elections.

My first and only encounter with Professor Nwosu was years back at a reception in the formerly Queens Drive Ikoyi (now Lady Oyinkan Drive) expansive residence of Dr Ndukwe who was then the Chief Physician to late Chief of General Staff Admiral Augustus Aikhomu during the Babangida regime. I was there as a journalist and tried to approach him as soon as I sighted him seated among the dignitaries but I was barred by his security aides and I went back to my seat.

I did not know that the Prof. had noticed all this and later as he was leaving, he wrong footed the security men and made to where I sat. He patted my shoulder and in his baritone voice asked ‘’Young man I noticed you were trying to reach me”? Caught off guard, I muttered ‘’Yes sir’’ and continued ‘’ I am a journalist and I wanted to congratulate you on your appointment and to ask how you intend to carry out your task as NEC Chairman’’. He looked at me intently for a few seconds before saying, ‘’I assure you we will do our best’’ and walked away briskly.

And to be sure, Professor Nwosu’s earliest statement of objectivity in his job was to disqualify the likes of Okey Odunze, Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu and Hyde Onuaguluchi, all his Igbo kinsmen and leading politicians. He was also credited with introducing the fail-safe Option A4 method from the ward to the presidential levels among many electoral reforms he implemented.

But by far the greatest contribution he made to Nigerian political history was his near flawless organization of the June 12 1993 elections. He not only successfully arranged the enormous logistics of the elections including the organisation, printing and delivery of election materials to the thousands of polling booths in the country, he personally took charge of the collation and announcing of the results especially that of the presidential elections.

It was during the announcing of the presidential elections that Professor Nwosu played the heroic role that Nigerians now give him the credit he deserves. When the military rulers were directing him to suspend announcing the results, which was already known anyway, he stood his grounds insisting that he be allowed to go on and conclude his task.

Today we are able to celebrate the June 12 elections because Professor Nwosu stood his ground and at great risk to his life, insisted on recording the results for posterity.

Along with many Nigerians, I make bold to say that if a lie detector was to be conducted on all those who played roles in the June 12 elections including late Chief MKO Abiola the winner of the election which was annulled, only Professor Nwosu would come out squeaky clean.

Professor Nwosu could easily have compromised his integrity at any point before, during and after elections to brazenly alter the results as happened in subsequent elections in Nigeria. But he did not and today we are lamentably celebrating the best elections we have ever had in this country that was tragically and criminally annulled.

Professor Nwosu, who passed on last year, will be buried sometime this month without the authorities according him his proper role in the June 12 elections. But Nigerians know that this essential Aguata man and great son of Nigeria will go meet his maker with his head high for accomplishing the national task given to him creditably. And there can be no befitting recognition better than to accord him his proper place as the authentic hero of the elections and immortalise him accordingly.