By Jude Atupulazi
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has expressed profound sadness and deep sense of loss, on the passing on of an illustrious Nigerian patriot and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); formerly National Electoral Commission, NEC, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, in the early hours of Thursday, October 24, 2024, describing him as a true umpire of electoral integrity. Nwosu died at the age of 83 in the United States of America after a brief illness.
In his condolence message, Governor Soludo lamented that Nigeria had lost a true umpire of electoral integrity in Prof. Nwosu, describing him as a distinguished son of Anambra State from Ajali Community in Orumba North Local Government Area, who brought immense pride to the state through his exemplary service to the nation.
Soludo said Nwosu’s tenure as NEC Chairman from 1989 to 1993 marked a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey, particularly through his innovative contributions to the country’s electoral process.
The Governor particularly recalled that Prof. Nwosu’s legacy had been eternally etched in Nigeria’s History as the architect of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, widely acknowledged as the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s History.
In a press statement signed by Soludo’s Press Secretary, Mr Chris Aburime, Soludo said Nwosu’s game-changing innovations, including the Option A-4 Voting System and the Open Ballot System, earned global recognition and set new standards for electoral transparency in Africa, a development, Soludo noted, had continued to influence contemporary discussions on electoral best practices in Nigeria.
‘Therefore, Governor Soludo extends his solemn condolences to the family of Prof. Nwosu and the Ajali Community, praying that his soul finds eternal rest and urging all to take solace in knowing that his legacy of electoral integrity and democratic values cannot be forgotten,’ the statement concluded.
