The leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasheun has said that he was one of the people who forced the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega to postpone Nigeria’s elections.
Fasheun stated that Jega was forced to postpone the polls because it appeared that President Goodluck Jonathan would lose to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The OPC leader made the statement in Lagos on Thursday, March 19,during a Post National Conference meeting sponsored by Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko.
“Fortunately Senator Akinfenwa was there and I was there and the Senator came to say to me… I think Jonathan is losing this battle,” Fasehun said in reference to the National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa. The party has chosen Jonathan as its Presidential candidate.
“I responded… I have never lost any battle, today we shall shift the election,” Fasehun continued.
“By the grace of God when we had spoken to a few people, Jega had no option but to shift the date of the election,” the OPC leader said.
“Because if the elections was not shifted, I bet you that Jonathan would have lost the election,” Fasheun said.
The elections were initially scheduled to hold on February 14 and 28 but were postponed after security agencies informed the INEC Chairman that they would be too busy with the fight against Boko Haram to provide security during the polls.
President Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) however denied reports that they had orchestrated the poll shift because they believed it would better their chances.
Nigeria’s general elections are now slated to hold on March 28 and April 11.
