The Royal family of Eze Nwosu Nwafor of Ajali town in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State has announced the burial arrangement of Professor Humphrey Nwosu, a former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
According to the funeral programme signed by Engr Nnaemeka Humphrey Nwosu on behalf of the family, there will be a Service of Songs and Celebration of Life of the erudite Professor of Political Science on March 1, 2025, at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, USA.
The notice further disclosed that there will be a Night of Tributes on March 25, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, starting from 5pm.
The body of the erudite professor will, on March 27, arrive at the headquarters of Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State, for commencement of the burial ceremony.
Furthermore, in the evening of March 27, there will be Service of Songs at the Ogbiti Otti Palace in Ajali, starting at 5pm.
Finally on March 28, 2025, his body will lie in State at the Ogbiti Otti Palace in his Ajali hometown, from 7am to 9am.
Later by 10am, the burial notice added that there will be Funeral Service at the Saint Mark’s Anglican Church, also in Ajali, starting by 10am, after which his body will be laid to rest at his residence.
Born on October 2, 1941, Humphrey Nwosu was appointed NEC Chairman by the then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, a position he meritoriously held from 1989 to 1993.
Nwosu died in a United States hospital on October 24, 2024, aged 83 years.
During his tenure, Nwosu supervised the conduct of Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in the country’s history.
Specifically, he introduced ‘Option A4,’ an open ballot system of voting that required voters to openly queue in front of the picture of their candidate in an election. This innovation reflected his expertise as a former Professor of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The election saw Bashorun Moshood Abiola as the presumed winner, before the Babangida government annulled the election.
Nwosu’s legacy remains deeply intertwined with the June 12 election, which has since become a symbol of democratic struggle in Nigeria.