Ahead of the forthcoming 2023 governorship elections, a multi state-wide opinion poll commissioned by ANAP Foundation and conducted by NOI Polls Limited has seen Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state, Alex Otti of Abia state and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara state leading in the elections in their various states.
The Atedo Peterside-led organisation also projected that in Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has an edge while in Kano, the race is between Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In Lagos, the poll revealed a significant lead by Sanwo-Olu of the APC, with Azeez Olajide Adediran of the PDP and Gbadebo Patrick Rhodes-Vivour of Labour Party (LP) both trailing behind distantly.
It saw Sanwo-Olu ahead with 30 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him if the governorship elections were to be conducted today; 8 per cent proposing to vote for Adediran and Rhodes-Vivour in a distant third with 4 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him.
Sanwo-Olu’s 22 per cent-point lead at this early stage, it stated, is very significant, as the opposition voters are fragmented and shared between two main challengers in the ratio 30:8:4.
Undecided voters and those who prefer not to reveal their preferred candidate, it noted, added up to a whopping 30 per cent and 26 per cent respectively. The gender split of undecided voters showed that 35 per cent of women were undecided versus 27 per cent of male voters.
The percentage of registered voters was 84 in Lagos West, 85 in Lagos East, and 89 in Lagos Central.
Furthermore, the data summarised top five reasons why voters are more inclined to vote in the forthcoming elections, including fixing of bad roads ,insecurity, economy, infrastructure and unemployment .
“The poll shows that almost eight in 10 registered voters are absolutely certain that they would be voting in the next governorship election. If they stay committed then we could witness a huge turnout in the March 2023 elections,” it noted.
In Rivers, the poll revealed a substantially close race between Fubara and Tonye Cole of the APC, while Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Dumo Owukori Lulu-Briggs of Accord Party (A) emerged as outsiders in that order.
The results showed a small lead for Fubara with 14 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him if the governorship election were to be conducted today; and 11 per cent proposing to vote for Cole who fell in second place even as Abe was third with 6 per cent and Lulu-Briggs was fourth, with 4 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him.
“Undecided voters and those who prefer not to reveal their preferred candidate add up to a whopping 37 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. The gender split of undecided voters shows that 43 per cent of women are undecided versus 34 per cent of male voters,” the poll results indicated.
Anap stated that the governorship poll result showed some early trends, stressing that it is key to note that the battle ahead lies in the hands of the undecided/swing voters who would ultimately have their say on which candidate emerges as governor of Rivers.
Moving to Kano, it also revealed a substantially close race between Yusuf of the NNPP and Gawuna of APC, with an 18-point gap between the pair and other candidates.
The results showed a significant lead for Yusuf with 29 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him if the governorship election were to be conducted today; and 21 per cent proposing to vote for Gawuna of the APC who fell in second place. Mohammed Wali of the PDP was a distant third with only 3 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him.
As for results from Kwara, it confirmed a dominant lead by Abdulrasaq of the APC with Alhaji Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi of the PDP and Mr. Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal of the SDP both trailing behind respectively.
“The results showed a significant lead for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRaqaz with 30 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him if the governorship election were to be conducted today; and 11 per cent proposing to vote for Alhaji Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi (PDP) who fell in second place. Mr. Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal (SDP) was a distant third with only 3 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him,” Anap said.
In Abia, it indicated that Otti of LP, with Uchenna Ikonne of PDP and Gregory Ikechukwu Ibe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) both trailing.
“The results showed a significant lead for Alex Chioma Otti with 20 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him if the governorship election were to be conducted today; 9 per cent propose to vote for Uchenna Eleazar Ikonne (PDP) who fell in second place and Gregory Ikechukwu Charles Ibe (APGA) was third with 4 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him,” it explained.
Furthermore, the data summarised top five reasons why voters were more inclined to vote in the forthcoming elections, including- fixing of bad roads, infrastructural development, payment of salaries , job creation/unemployment and security.
