June 12: Nwosu should also be honoured – UPP

The United Progressive Party (UPP) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend national honour to the former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, who, at the risk of his life, ensured the sanctity of the June 12 presidential election.
The party said that Nwosu “practically went on self-exile for serving his country patriotically, diligently and with high degree of principle and integrity”, stressing that although he had many options which could have invalidated the exercise, but he opted to declare the election inconclusive.
The party national chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, who stated this in a release issued yesterday, said Prof.
Nwosu opted to live a “low profile life almost to point of being a recluse all because he served his country honestly and sincerely”.
The UPP commended President Buhari for proclaiming June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, in addition to bestowing posthumous awards of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) to the presumed winner of the election, late Chief MKO Abiola, Grand Commander of Nigeria (GCON) to late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Grand Commander of Nigeria (GCON) to Alhaji Babagana Kingibe.
However, it said such recognition would not be complete if the chief umpire of the election that ensured the sanctity of Nigeria’s democracy were left out of the list of those due for national honour today.
“It will, therefore, be incomplete if Prof.
Humphrey Nwosu is not adequately and appropriately recognized for the role he played.
“For the sake of justice, encouragement and for the sake of motivating present and future National Chairmen of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the role of Prof. Nwosu in making June 12 a reality must not be down played or trivialized”, Chief Okorie said.
According to the party, had the then SDP government been allowed to come on stream, Nigeria could have attained a greater national cohesion, unity, socio-cultural and religious tolerance and nationalism.
The UPP disagreed with those who said President Buhari was merely playing politics with the declaration noting: “We do not agree with those who advance the argument that President Muhammadu Buhari was merely playing politics with such a monumental act of courage and patriotism.