The lawmaker representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Victor Umeh has reacted after the Senate rejected a motion seeking to immortalise former Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, NEC, late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu by the Senate.
According to him, the action of the Senate was undemocratic.
The motion, raised under matters of urgent public importance by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and co-sponsored by members of the minority caucus primarily from the South-East, was aimed at recognising Nwosu’s contributions and courageous defense of the democratic electoral process during the 1993 presidential elections.
Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, explained that the motion was a contentious one, citing divided public opinion on Prof. Nwosu’s role in the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Recall that when the motion was eventually put to a voice vote, the ‘nays’ had the day, effectively rejecting the proposal.
However, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Senator Umeh described what happened at the red chamber as very undemocratic.
“I think it is a question of people not being fair to a man who has done so well and instead of giving him accolade, we want to be uncharitable to him even unto death.
“This motion came today at the most timely moment because he will buried buried on Friday, two day way.
“So, there is no way we cannot talk about his contributions in the parliament, those who have opposing views will say that the man should not be immortalised, those who say that he should be immortalized should say their views. Shutting down the motion the way it was done this morning is very undemocratic,” he said.
The lawmaker argued that the Senate leadership should have allowed the lawmakers to debate on the motion, saying that such motions are debated every other day in the Senate irrespective of how anyone feels about the motion.
The senator also said that the rejection of the motion is unfair to the late Prof. Nwosu whom he said gave his all for Nigeria.
Recall that Prof. Nwosu was the Chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, which conducted the June, 1993 presidential election that produced late MKO Abiola as winner, and was adjudged by many as the most credible election conducted in Nigeria.
