We Acknowledge President Tinubu’s Courage in Honoring Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, Despite Deep Concerns Over His Governance
The Igbo-Biafra Nationalists Movement (IBN) and the Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination (IPINS) have consistently maintained a principled stance against the systemic marginalization, political exclusion, and calculated alienation of the Igbo nation within Nigeria. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, much like its predecessors, has remained deeply unpopular among our people. His regime continues to reflect troubling hallmarks of tribalism, non-inclusion, divisiveness, reckless governance, and corruption, all compounded by widespread hardship, propaganda, and a deepening culture of state capture.
However, today, we issue this statement for one singular, purposeful reason: to acknowledge and commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for demonstrating courage on this year’s Democracy Day, June 12, 2025. The conferral of a posthumous national honour—Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON)—on our own, the late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, is a significant, long-overdue gesture of justice and recognition.
Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, the former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), played a foundational and unparalleled role in the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll. His integrity, neutrality, and unwavering commitment to democratic ideals under a military regime laid the bedrock upon which today’s Democracy Day is celebrated.
Yet, despite this towering legacy, the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari deliberately ignored multiple calls—including a formal 2019 motion by Hon. Okwudili Ezenwankwo in the National Assembly—to accord Prof. Nwosu the honor he rightfully deserved. Buhari’s willful omission was not just a personal affront to Prof. Nwosu, but also a blatant example of the institutionalized discrimination against the Igbo people under his regime.
We acknowledge that it was not until sustained pressure from Igbo nationalists, lawmakers, and concerned citizens that the Tinubu administration finally corrected this historical injustice. The recognition of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu as a hero of Nigeria’s democracy alongside Late MKO Abiola and Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, though long delayed, restores a vital part of Nigeria’s democratic narrative.
This singular act, though insufficient in addressing the broader grievances of the Igbo-Biafra nation, is a step toward historical redress. It reinforces the message that no true account of Nigeria’s democratic journey is complete without acknowledging the pivotal role played by Igbo sons and daughters—and Prof. Nwosu stood tallest among them.
We reiterate, however, that recognition of Prof. Nwosu must not be allowed to become a tokenistic gesture. The Igbo nation demands full equity, justice, and recognition in all spheres of national life—political, economic, and structural. The systemic marginalization of the South East remains unresolved, and until these wrongs are addressed, Nigeria’s claims to unity and inclusivity remain hollow.
Nonetheless, we salute the memory of Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, whose legacy now bears the national honor he earned through principle, courage, and service.
Signed:
Edoziuno Chukwunonso
Spokesperson
Uche Okafor-Mefor
ConvenorIgbo-Biafra Nationalists Movement (IBN)
Indigenous People of Igbo Nation for Self-Determination (IPINS)
