By Chinelo Obogo and Gyang Bere, Jos
Bloomberg opinion poll has favoured the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, to win the 2023 presidential election.
This is following the ANAP/NOI and We2geda poll result released recently which put Obi at 21% and 51% respectively ahead of other competitors.
The results of the survey conducted for Bloomberg News by Premise Data Corp. which were published yesterday as campaign officially kicked off, showed Obi scored 72% among those who have decided to vote.
Out of those surveyed, 92% of participants said they had decided how to vote and 72% named Obi as their first choice and of those who are still unsure, 45% said the 61-year-old former governor of Anambra State is their preferred candidate.
The data company which has its headquarters in San Francisco, surveyed 3,973 Nigerians from September 5th to 20th and respondents to the app-based poll were selected from quotas developed by age, gender and location across the country’s six geopolitical zones. Results were then weighted against the original quotas to ensure national representation.
The candidate of APC, Bola Tinubu and that of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, garnered 16% of decided voters and 23% of those yet to make up their minds and 9% and 17% respectively.
Three-quarters of respondents said Nigeria is headed in the wrong direction and a combined 88% listed the economy, jobs, corruption, and security as the most important issues facing their communities. More than 65% named Obi as the candidate best able to improve the economy, tackle corruption and reduce insecurity, while Tinubu ranked second on each measure, ahead of Atiku.
•Vows to end grid collapse, insecurity, poverty
Obi has said that frequent national grid collapse would be a thing of the past if he is elected.
Reacting to the recent collapse of the national grid, which he described as disturbing, Obi stated that his team has a strategic plan to progressively scale up power generation and the liberalisation of the transmission infrastructure in the country, to ensure that Nigerians enjoy adequate and stable power supply from 2023 onwards.
On his verified twitter handle, he said: “The report of yet another national grid collapse is very disturbing to me, and is a reminder of the long rescue and recovery journey ahead of us. Effective power generation, transmission and distribution remain a national security issue.
“This also places power on the front burner of campaign and policy. Painfully, this latest episode is the 7th national grid collapse in 2022. As part of the Obi-Datti policy plan, we have put together a strategic plan to progressively scale up power generation, and the liberalisation of the transmission infrastructure in the country, to ensure that Nigerians enjoy adequate and stable power supply from 2023 onwards. Power is critical to the development and sustainability of all sectors of the national economy
“For us, power remains a top priority. Under my watch, national grid collapse will become a matter of history and a reference point for erstwhile administrations.”
Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum has adopted Obi as it candidate.
Chairman of the Forum and Convener of Middle Belt for OBIDATTI 2023, Dr. Pogu Bitrus disclosed this, yesterday, while unveiling the LP candidate and his running mate, Yusuf Datti at a rally at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos, Plateau State.
He explained that the adoption was out of fairness and equity for Southern Nigeria to produce the next president after the completions of eight years by President Muhammadu Buhari from the Northern region.
“We are here to tell Nigerians that the Middle Belt is fully in support of Peter Obi for the 2023 presidency. We did not just arrived at this put of sentiment but it was after a serious consideration of issues in Nigeria in collaboration with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Afenifere and the Pan Niger Delta Forum and other socio-cultural groups in the country.
“We believe in the zoning which we started in 1999 that produced the President from the South West, it is good for us because of the issue of equity, justice and fairness. This time around, we have a President from the North and by 2023 Buhari would have spent eight year and it is the turn of the South.”
The LP candidate assured the crowd of supporters they would match words with action if elected into office in 2023, saying the era of giving excuses and blame game was over. He promised to address hunger, unemployment and corruption, said that he would promote quality of education at all levels and improve power supply.
“If you elect me as your president, I will end provide security at all levels so that our people can go to farm and by so doing, the issue of food insecurity and hunger will be a thing of the past. We will create jobs for our teeming unemployed youth and end poverty.
“We will make our educational system functional and improve electricity supply. We will block all leakages and end corruption at all levels; our government will be a responsible one. We will not fail Nigerians. We want a new Nigeria and we are determine to make Nigerians happy again.”
Obi, however, advised the people to pray for a peaceful and credible elections in 2023, adding that only credible polls would produce credible leaders.”
Obi and his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti, who visited Da Gyang Buba, the Gbong Gwom Jos and Chairman Plateau Council of Chiefs and Emirs also unveiled Dr. Patrick Dakum and Edward Pwajok as the the party’s governorship candidate and running mate respectively.
Prophet Isa El-buba, Convener of the Initiative for Better and Brighter Nigeria (IBBN), advised Nigerians to vote credible and responsible leaders in 2023. He said as a preacher, he was supporting Obi because he believed he would salvage the nation from it current woes. He urged the people to reject those who have made huge sacrifice with their blood and resources and urged them to vote Obi to take back their inheritance. The cleric advised the people to collect their PVCs and vote massively for Obi, saying that the Middle Belt and the North will mobilize their support to win the presidency.