Legislators cite procedural issues, ask sponsor to refile proposal
ABUJA — The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday postponed consideration of a motion seeking to honor late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, former National Electoral Commission chairman, after ruling the proposal was improperly introduced. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) had attempted to move the motion under Orders 41 and 51 regarding personal explanations, aiming to recognize Nwosu’s role in conducting the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin initially declared the matter controversial before allowing discussion. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele subsequently objected, arguing the motion violated procedural rules as plenary had progressed beyond the appropriate stage for such consideration. “The order raised by Senator Abaribe was inappropriate at this time,” Bamidele stated.
While Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) advocated permitting the debate, Jibrin ultimately upheld the procedural objection but advised Abaribe to reintroduce the motion properly at a future session. “This isn’t a controversial matter,” Abaribe maintained, defending his attempt to honor the electoral pioneer.
The deferral comes amid growing calls from civil society and electoral experts, including former INEC chairman Attahiru Jega, for national recognition of Nwosu’s legacy. Proposals include conferring posthumous national honors and renaming INEC’s headquarters after the late professor.
