On Sunday 22nd March 2015, Prophet T.B. Joshua called on congregants to pray ‘to avert’ an impending calamity.

“I asked you to fast last week on Thursday and tomorrow (Monday),” he reminded congregants. “Please observe the fasting.”

Joshua explained that he had been praying fervently concerning the plane crash he had foreseen the previous week.

“I too am just coming from the (prayer) mountain before coming here… just praying for God to avert this calamity. We love people not because they appreciate us but we love them because of salvation,” the Nigerian cleric stated.

Early on Tuesday 24th March 2015, breaking news hit international media that an Airbus A320 airliner belonging to Germanwings has crashed in the French Alps en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, leading to the deaths of all 144 passengers and six crew members.

Several online commentators within Nigeria reacted to the news of the crash on social media by recalling Joshua’s purported prediction.

Additionally, on Sunday 15th March 2015, the controversial cleric had also spoken about the upcoming Nigerian elections, stating that betrayal was ripe within the two major political parties.

“The challenge Nigeria is facing – on the day of voting, when you drop your votes in the ballot box, you will know who is PDP and who is APC,” he told congregants. “It’s a parable; very delicate. Because everybody plays a game; we deceive ourselves. ‘So this man voted for this party but he’s in that party.’”

The recent defection of Rivers State Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru from Nigeria’s opposition party APC to the ruling party PDP underscores Joshua’s assertion, especially considering his closeness to Rotimi Amaechi, perhaps the most vocal critic of the current Nigerian government.