Eme Awa
Professor Eme Awa (born 15 December 1921 – 11 March 2000) was chairman of the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), appointed by President Ibrahim Babangida.[2] Talking about the ethnic unions which rose between the late 1920s and the 1950s, but were later suppressed, Awa said: "The great achievements of the associations in generating among Nigerians loyalty for an ethnic group of several million people, thus paving the way for a broader loyalty for the entire nation was relegated to the background.[3] He defended democracy, saying that it was not alien to Africa but was based on long traditions, "the type we had in the city states where everyone came out in the market square and expressed their views, either by raising their hands or something like that".[4] Eme Awa's commission conducted the 1987 Local Government election, which were poorly managed, with irregularities that included a confusing and irregular voters register and overcrowded polling stations.[5] Eme Awa died at the age of 79 in the Holy Cross Hospital in the United States of America in March 2000.