Former Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Isaack Hassan has disclosed that he wanted Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga to win the 2013 presidential election.
Speaking on Wednesday May 17 during an interview with Citizen TV’s JKLive Hassan praised the former Prime Minister for playing a key role that saw him become a commissioner of the Constitutional Review Commission.
“I have a lot of respect for the Prime Minister and in my first job as CKRC’s Commissioner, he was the chairman of the parliamentary select Committee on the Constitution. They interviewed us and I was among those selected from North Eastern Province,” said Hassan.
The former IEBC boss went on to reveal that he wished Raila became the President so that Kenyans can taste his alternative leadership.
“I became chairman of IIEC with his support and then IEBC with his support. If there’s anyone I have respect and gratitude for it is him and I really would have wished him to win the election and become our president because we needed to taste his presidency,” he stated.
Hassan also stated that it was a hard time for him to announce the 2013 presidential results, but he did it because it was the people’s will.
“As the chairman of the electoral commission, I only announced the will of the people, the results of the elections. That for me was a very difficult time but what can you do? That is the game, the name of the game so it was never personal,” he added.
Following the elections Raila and his allies began demonstrations against the commission, calling for their ouster. The commission exited in 2016 and was succeeded by a team led by former IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati.
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