The Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District, Senator Austin Akobundu, confronted Senator Adams Oshiomhole of Edo North Senatorial District during the Senate plenary on Thursday regarding Oshiomhole’s attempts to fabricate false narratives and distort historical facts surrounding the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu’s role in the June 12, 1993 election saga.
While contributing to the motion advocating for the immortalisation of Prof. Nwosu, who chaired the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC)—the body responsible for conducting what is widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election—Oshiomhole made the disingenuous claim that “Humphrey Nwosu’s courage failed him when most needed and cannot be rewarded,” among other misleading statements he made on the matter.
This prompted a sharp rebuke from Senator Austin Akobundu, who characterised Oshiomhole’s remarks as “very uncharitable.” He reminded the former Governor of Edo State that “Recently, the former president, Ibrahim Babangida, owned up to his mistakes,” asking, “If Humphrey Nwosu did not conduct a credible election, how could Abiola’s election be validated? So it was a validation of the election,” he declared.
Akobundu, who later joined the caucus of senators staging a walkout over the issue, had previously made his contributions to the motion in response to Oshiomhole’s position.
“I was in service during the June 12 saga and I know well the tenacity and courage that Humphrey Nwosu demonstrated until he was halted from announcing the results. To sit here and not recognise that Humphrey was a fighter who stood his ground against military leadership to ensure the entrenchment of democracy is most uncharitable.
“It is deeply unfair for Senator Oshiomhole to assert that when he was alive, Nwosu did nothing. Let me clarify that Humphrey Nwosu published a book detailing all that transpired, including the results that confirmed Abiola’s election.
“Humphrey Nwosu remains a revered figure in our hearts and deserves his rightful place in the pantheon of honour in this country,” Akobundu concluded.
Nigerians from various backgrounds have expressed admiration for Senator Akobundu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and their colleagues who advocated for the immortalisation of the late NEC Chief, praising them for their courage and integrity in the pursuit of truth and defence of historical facts.
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