A heated debate erupted in the Senate on Wednesday over a motion to honor the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, the former Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC) who oversaw the annulled June 12, 1993, election. Minority Leader Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe attempted to raise the motion under Senate Standing Orders, but Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau rejected it, calling it controversial.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele argued that the motion was raised too late in the session, while former Senate Leader Yahaya Abdullahi warned against silencing senators and likened the decision to dictatorship. Abaribe insisted on his right to speak, citing Senate rules that allow discretion in procedural matters, but Barau upheld Bamidele’s position, stating that Order 42 forbids controversial topics without prior approval.
Ultimately, the Senate ruled that Abaribe could reintroduce the motion on a later date. Meanwhile, Prof. Nwosu, who introduced the Option A4 voting system and the Open Ballot system, will be buried on March 28. The debate over officially honoring his contributions to Nigeria’s democracy remains unresolved.
