FLASHBACK: What Buhari said when INEC postponed 2015 election

President Muhammadu Buhari heavily criticised the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) when it postponed the 2015
general elections.

Then an aspirant under the APC merger, Mr Buhari also criticised
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government of systematic
rigging.

On February 8, 2015, six days away, INEC postponed the February
14 presidential election by six weeks citing insecurity.

The elections commission chief, Attahiru Jega, said the delay
until 28 March was necessary because of heightened insecurity that
could affect the safety of election personnel, voters and
materials, especially in the troubled North-east region.

Few days to the election when it started becoming clear that it
would be postponed, Mr Buhari criticised the commission for
considering postponement. He would later win the rescheduled
polls.

After the latest postponement under Mr Buhari as president, the
video of his interview was re-circulated by Channel 4 News.

“It took INEC one month to work out…I see no reason why we
should postpone it,” Mr Buhari said when asked by the planned
postment of 2015
“There are 14 local governments where there is (security) problem;
10 in Borno, two in Your, two in Adamawa. And there and 774 local
governments in Nigeria. Should we postpone the election because of
14 local governments?”

Mr Buhari suggested that even with Boko Haram onslaught, the
electoral umpire ought to go ahead.

“Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria were fighting wars and they
conducted elections, what is Boko Haram?” he said, dismissing the
reporter.

Mr Buhari, however, asked his supporters to take advantage of
the postponement to further mobilise support among Nigerians.

Mr Buhari also accused PDP of engineering the postponement to
avoid a defeat, but appealed for calm among his supporters.

“I wish to appeal for utmost restraint and calm by all
Nigerians, especially the teeming supporters of our great party,
the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“It is important to note that although INEC acted within its
constitutional powers, it is clear that it has been boxed into a
situation where it has had to bow to pressure. Thus, the
independence of INEC has been gravely compromised,” he said.

Repeat

INEC Saturday morning postponed the presidential and national
assembly elections giving logistics challenges as reasons.

The announcement was made at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, few hours
to the commencement of the polls.

The new dates for the elections are February 23 for presidential
and national assembly elections and March 9 for governorship and
state assemblies elections.

Mr Yakubu said further details of the postponement would be
disclosed at a conference scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Saturday.

President Buhari said he was “deeply disappointed” by the latest
postponement. He urged Nigerians to be calm and peaceful.