We forced Jega to shift polls to save Jonathan from losing – OPC leader, Fasheun

Micheal Abimboye

 

The leader of the Oodua People’s Congress, Fredrick Fasheun, has revealed why the 2015 general election earlier slated for February 14 was shifted.

 

He also named actors who compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, INEC, Attahiru Jega, to postpone the polls.  

 

According to Mr. Fasheun, if the elections had gone ahead on the scheduled date, President Goodluck Jonathan would have lost. He revealed this while speaking at Post-National Conference event sponsored by the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

 

The video of the speech was published Saturday by news website, Sahara Reporters.

 

Mr. Fasheun said he was approached by Mojisola Akinfenwa, a fourth republic Senator from Osun State, who told him that he doubted if Jonathan would win the election the way things were going.

 

“The senator came to me and said, look, I think Jonathan is losing this battle and I responded to him, Baba, I will never experience any loss in battle. Today, we shall shift this election. And by the grace of God, when we had spoken to few people, Jega had no option but to shift the date of the election. If that election was not shifted, I bet you that Jonathan would have lost that election.

 

“The rigging had been perfected. The war-torn region of the North-East; Yobe was having 80 per cent PVC (distribution) while Lagos only had 62 per cent and even the governor himself was still crying to be given his own PVC. So, the few PVC we have must be maximised. That is why I am appealing to everyone. Let us all go there and this time, cast our votes in favour of a friend. Jonathan can be a friend.”

 

The OPC leader noted that he did not believe in the anti-corruption campaign of the opposition party.

 

“I am not carried away by the fact that somebody is not corrupt… People are turning history upside down. Who is not corrupt? Have we forgotten the $2.8bn lost? Have we forgotten the 52 suitcases filled with new currencies? Have we forgotten the chairmanship of PTF?” he said.

 

He added: “Have we forgotten that somebody recently said that if he doesn’t win the election or if the election does not go in his favour, the blood of baboon will mix with the blood of dogs? Whereas, Jonathan said my ambition to become President of this nation should not cost one drop of any Nigerian’s blood”.

 

Both the Gani Adams and Mr. Fasheun’s factions of the Oodua Peoples Congress have over the past weeks campaigned for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan.

 

Particularly, the Gani Adams’ faction has called for the removal of the INEC chair and held a protest to drive home their demand in Lagos.

 

According to Mr. Adams, the call for the removal of Mr. Jega was due to poor distribution of PVCs in the south, registration of under age in the north and creation of additional 30,000 polling units in the north.

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