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Nwosu does not deserve any award, says Unwanta

By Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh Uyo
13 June 2018   |   3:34 am
As those who played outstanding roles in the June 12 1993 presidential election were being honoured yesterday, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain [PDP] in Akwa Ibom State, Dr Andrew Unwanta said the none inclusion of former Chairman of National Electoral Commission, Prof Humphrey Nwosu...

Andrew Unwanta

As those who played outstanding roles in the June 12 1993 presidential election were being honoured yesterday, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain [PDP] in Akwa Ibom State, Dr Andrew Unwanta said the none inclusion of former Chairman of National Electoral Commission, Prof Humphrey Nwosu, was justifiable.He said this while fielding questions from journalists on his reactions to President Muhammadu Buhari’s proclamation on June 12 as Democracy Day.

Unwanta, who is the Chairman of the State Assembly Service Commission stressed that, the former NEC Chairman lacked integrity by not declaring the result even at the risk of losing his life.

According to him, as a well-known scholar, he should have devised any means to declare the result of the election, even going outside the country to do that to vindicate himself and maintain his integrity.“Government appointed people to work during that election, they were all government appointees and somebody worked hard to have won that election and Prof. Nwosu never declare the result of that election. He left the situation like that; there are people who would have stayed even outside Nigeria to say this man won the election.

“Where is his integrity? What stopped him from telling Nigerians, whether officially or unofficially that Abiola won the election even after his death, since he was the one who midwifed the election; he would have stayed anywhere in the world to say what happened, provided the truth is told.

“At most, he could have announced that result and run away from the country to show that he is a man of integrity and that is why I am insisting that Prof. Nwosu does not deserve a national award like the others who are being given today.” He expressed regret over the role of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida in the annulment of the election, alleging that he truncated that transition because he was supporting Tofa.

“Even the NRC knew Abiola won because his victory cut across board because in most states controlled by the NRC then, he also won.”He said the recognition of June 12 by Buhari now was politically motivated so as curry the votes of the Southwest in the coming elections.

“I sense political motive behind the recognition of June 12, it is aimed at scoring cheap political point in the Southwest, but Abiola was voted for across the country. He won massively, it was not a Yoruba election He was accepted everywhere in Nigeria. The people spoke, but the then President refused to listen to the voice of the people.

“It was victimization, very serious one; it is good for the truth to be told, but now is being used to score cheap political point. But then, setting that day aside to celebrate democracy is good but then that’s not the problem of Nigerians. They need food on their table because times are hard for them. The government should be thinking of revamping the economy, improving the lots of the people by boosting small scale manufacturing and production.”

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