Opinion poll, APC differ over election outcome

AN opinion poll conducted by a media research and marketing organisation, Samrex Communications Limited, has put the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in a poll position to win Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State ahead of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki.

The publicity secretary of the APC in Edo State, Godwin Erhahon, however, described the opinion poll as lacking credibility and baseless.

In the survey, supervised by Dr Ubani Azuka and released on Tuesday, by the organisation, the data show that the lead, which Obaseki had enjoyed in the Edo North, had declined.

The report said that the survey, which targeted 23,000 respondents and cuts across the three senatorial districts, was carried out between August 1 and September 2, 2016.

The latest report by the organisation, which targeted likely voters by telephone and online survey in the three senatorial districts: Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North, showed Ize-Iyamu to have the support of 75 per cent of the electorate in Edo South; 77 per cent in Edo Central, and 47 per cent in Edo North versus 25 per cent, 22 per cent and 53 per cent of the respondents, who said they supported Obaseki.

The survey said that many of the respondents based their decision on the neglect of their communities, unfulfilled promises by the government, huge corruption within the state government, high cost of living, bad roads and abandoned projects in their areas.

For example, some respondents in Owan-East in Edo North said that their communities have been neglected: no polling booth at Okpa-Emai; insufficient primary schools in Ake; bad roads/ abandoned projects at Evbotubu, and lack of social amenities.

On the other hand, those who promised to vote for the APC generally based their decision on renovation of schools; promise to build industries to generate income and create jobs; loan to farmers and small scale business owners and provision of portable water and youth empowerment. They also want somebody who will sustain Adam Oshiomhole’s legacies.

Reacting, Erhahon said, “I will not endorse any opinion poll that is concocted by partisan groups. Such opinion poll should be discountenanced until a credible media organisation or neutral bodies are able to come up with their own opinion poll.

“In any case, those opinion polls are irrelevant. They should have done that a long time ago. By Sunday we will know if the opinion poll was correct or not. It is not credible and what they are saying is baseless.”