2023: New ANAP poll suggests possible winner in Rivers governorship election

ANAP Foundation, based on an opinion poll it conducted, has predicted which of the candidates would win the Rivers governorship election on 11 March.

The poll was conducted in collaboration with NOI Polls Ltd for Rivers and concluded in February before the Presidential elections.

Atedo Peterside, the president, ANAP Foundation said in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Siminalayi Fubara “is the most likely candidate to succeed Governor Nyesom Wike”.

He said the results showed a significant lead for Mr Fubara, with 20 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him if the governorship elections were to be conducted “today”.

He said 11 per cent proposed to vote for Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who fell in second place, adding that Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress candidate was third with 10 per cent.

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Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Accord came fourth with six per cent of voters proposing to vote for him.

Mr Peterside said Mr Fubara’s nine per cent point lead at this stage was significant but not sufficient to separate him from a pack of candidates scoring 11 per cent 10 per cent, six per cent, among others.

He described it as a severely fragmented race, adding that undecided voters and those who preferred not to reveal their preferred candidates added up to a whopping 24 per cent.

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According to him, this is likely due to the fact that the PDP is the most popular political party in the state and the current governor is a member of the party.

“As such, the PDP is likely to maintain its hold on the state and Fubara is the most likely candidate to win the governorship race,” he said.

He said the primary objective of the poll was to gauge the opinions of voters in the state on the likely pattern of voting in the governorship election.

Mr Peterside said it also determined the key issues that would influence their voting decision.

(NAN)